The Misadventures of Ponified Friends
by Super Bright Brat
Summary: A study group between three close friends started out as a usual bond, but when a storm ends up as an apocalyptic frenzy and shrouds the world in darkness, a portal that saved their lives will transport them to another world... full of sunshine, rainbows, and ponies. Soon, they will find out that their transportation has a big reason, and a big purpose for their situation
1. Prologue

**_The Misadventures of Ponified Friends_**

 ** _Prologue: How It All Began_**

* * *

It had finally come to this.

After all the hell we've endured and tolerated throughout our high school life, it was finally coming to an end.

Finals week was starting tomorrow, and even when I started studying in advance for a month, I was still nervous. This test would decide our future, and the first step to a new beginning.

I reminded myself to take a deep breath, and say to myself, "You got this, and always stay positive."

But... I wouldn't say that about my friends though.

It was one cloudy, stormy night in the city of Oklahoma. The thunderstorm just happened quite suddenly, considering that it was just in the middle of spring. The rain was abnormally strong, and the streets were flooded in a nanosecond. I was forced to let my two friends stay over my apartment for the night, and I already predicted chaos.

We closed ourselves inside my room, where we just studied. They practically begged for me to help them out, and as a friend, who am I to say no to them?

It was only a matter of time before we got bored. The loud wind and torrents of rain outside didn't help out either.

"I know! Let's watch Frozen!" My friend Lemuel suddenly declared that made the two of us jump up in surprise.

Lemuel Adams was an optimistic, fun-loving, and thrill-seeking idiot. He was considered as the clown of our trio for he kept sneaking in puns, unnecessary comments and pranks for the laughs. He was in the scrawny side, a stature that you wouldn't expect for someone too energetic. He was pretty tall too; maybe an inch above me, and lastly, his so-called signature uncombed blonde hair.

"Come on guys! Please?" Lemuel continued to beg.

I heard my friend beside me groaning in annoyance. "I swear, if I'm going to watch another Disney musical I'll be sick."

The man who commented was Hassan Ndaye. He was a transfer student all the way from South Africa around our sophomore year in middle school, his parents hoping that he could get a good education in America. Hassan was the most athletic among the three of us, standing at a six-foot-seven stature and still growing. Around his first year in our school, he was quickly promoted to Team Captain of the basketball team when he first tried out, so it was pretty easy to say that he's got a future in the NBA. Speaking of, his favorite team was the San Antonio Spurs, and his favorite player in the team was the rising star Kawhi Leonard (based on what Bleacher Report said). The first thing he did to pay tribute to his idol was by arranging his hair into cornrows.

"Please? Can you not see the atmosphere outside? It's like the end of the freaking world. So, I'm suggesting that we watch a fun and heartwarming movie! Like Frozen!" Lemuel added jovially.

"Look, we know you like cute, fluffy things and all, but please can we watch something different for once?" Hassan demanded.

"Nah, too tired of action and Sci-Fi movies. Comedies are out of the question too, especially drama!"

"Well then, I suggest that you keep quiet and entertain yourself."

"Nope! Not gonna happen!" Lemuel then turned to face me, "Hey Rob! You got anything to watch in here?"

"Sorry. I don't really like watching movies too often so I never had one for a while." I replied.

Now that I was mentioned, I think it's time to introduce myself.

My name is Robert Andersen, but my friends usually call me Rob. I'm quite reserved, and I always thought my words through before shouting them out to the world just to be sure. Look, I see myself as an introverted person, but my parents always say that my good and matured attitude made me get along with everyone. Ironically, I'm not always shy but I was still very anxious. Do I really need to say my physical attributes? Well, I have an average build, average height, fair skin and jet black hair.

"Is that so? Then I have no choice but to whip it out…" Lemuel stood up and walked towards the window, peering in the apocalyptic-like storm. Hassan and I looked at him.

"He's probably going to do or say something stupid again…" Hassan whispered to me. I just nodded back in agreement.

"I know you guys are gonna hate me for this." Lemuel began. "There's this thing that I've been curious about. It's this show that I've been wanting to watch, and for some reason, I just can't and I need other people's approval."

"What's this? What are you rambling about?" I asked in confusion.

"Yeah. What is this show? Is it a porno?" Hassan asked bluntly.

Lemuel quickly replied with an embarrassed blush, "WHAT?! Heck no! Why would I want to watch porn?!"

"Uh, because you said that you wanted to watch it secretly?" Hassan deadpanned.

"Ugh! No I'm talking about-" Lemuel walked towards his bag that was lying in my bed. He opened the bag and pulled out a pink hued container the size of a shoebox. "-THIS!"

He stretched out his hands to show the DVD closer for us, and it was something that Hassan and I didn't expect.

"Wait, wait, wait. So you're talking about _My Little Pony_?" Hassan interjected, his eyes narrowing in suspicion as he looked at the scrawny teen.

"See? Look at your reactions right now! So… what do you think guys?"

"We have the freedom to watch anything that catches our interest, but seriously Lem? Are you really that childish to watch colorful ponies?" I said to the flustered looking Lemuel.

"I told you that I'm just curious! And don't you want to find out why men our age adore this?" he questioned.

I found myself actually considering. Why did teenage boys like this so much? I became aware of this phenomenon back in early 2012.

Bronies, I believe, is what people call the fans outside the target audience of My Little Pony. I never paid much attention to it and focused on much more serious matters. I'm not that quick to judge, but I still found it weird that somebody their age could fantasize such things.

The only thing I knew about My Little Pony is this rainbow haired pony that I often see in the internet and it's just a toy line of Hasbro alongside the Transformers.

"So, you're suggesting that we are going to watch that?" Hassan crossed his arms. He motioned Lemuel to give him a DVD.

" _Get your muzzle out of those books and make some friends.' that's what Princess Celestia tells Twilight Sparkle. She maybe the smartest Unicorn in all of Equestria, but she gets an incomplete on friendship... She goes to Ponyville on a mission where she meets five special ponies who take her on exciting adventures and teach her the most powerful magic of all- the magic of friendship.._.What the hell is this? Are you seriously making me watch this?"

I gave him a look, "Well, it wouldn't hurt to try. Besides, it's just the three of us in here. No one will ever know that we watched a show meant for little girls."

He shot back a look of disbelief, "Are you serious Rob? You're the most intelligent and respectable man that I met in this country. Will you really watch this show with airhead here?"

"Hey! Who you calling airhead?!" Lemuel shouted in offence.

"I'm sure that it's just a harmless cartoon full of ponies going on adventures. Look at the cover," I pointed to the front cover of the DVD, where six, smiling, multi-colored ponies were located. I presumed those were the main characters. "Now, what do you say?" I encouraged, and I swear that Lemuel was nodding behind me.

Hassan probably guessed that he was on his own so he sighed defeatedly. "Oh all right. Just one quick question though. Where did you get that DVD, Lemuel?"

"I…uh, borrowed it from my sister."

With no interruptions, Lemuel went over the player, plugging it with the TV's. Lightning crackled loudly and thunder roared, and I noticed that the volume is increasing, which was strange. I stood up from my position and looked outside my window. I checked more closely, and it was like the storm was isolated in the area of my apartment. The streets were buzzing with people, and none of them wore any protection or garments for a rainy night. They were just walking along, and continued to ignore the downpour.

 _What the hell?_

" _ **My Little Pony! I used to wonder what friendship could be**_!" I heard the theme song of the show blared out in the stereo.

I heard Lemuel giggling. "Oh my god! This is so cute!"

"Keep it down, man! Someone could hear us!" Hassan told him.

"Who cares? And in this storm? No way!"

My eyes kept staring out, observing this bizarre and weird scene. It was raining, but why did it look like the people down there weren't getting drenched?

"Hey Rob! Get over here and let's get this over with!" Hassan announced, but I remained still.

"Hey, you alright man?"

I turned my head to face him, "Yeah…But…I just have this weird feeling that something bad's going to happen…"

"What are you talking about?" Lemuel intervened, taking his eyes off the screen just when he was going to play the first episode. "It's just a thunderstorm! It's a part of nature! It's perfectly norma-"

We all saw a flash of white, followed by an ear-piercing boom. We ducked and lay on the floor in shock as we covered our ears.

"JEEZ! That was loud!" Lemeul was yelling... I think. My ears were still ringing.

"What the hell's going on out there?!" Hassan said under the sheets of the bed. How did he get there so fast?

I stood up and once again looked out.

"Hey, how come everyone down there is acting as if they're ignoring the rain?" Lemuel observed.

"Do they not see this huge storm?" Hassan added, wondering.

What I suspected was right. We were the only ones experiencing the storm. But why? Was there some kind of paranormal like event? No, that wouldn't be possible.

I looked at the sky, and saw a huge cloud hovering over our building. Streaks of lightning and thunder boomed and rung out of the dark cloud.

"This is SPOOKY!" Lemuel shouted.

The clouds above started to glow, and as each second passed, the glowing sensation increased along with the lightning storm, which had become more intense and stronger than ever before.

We started to hear a whistling sound that felt terrifying.

"What's that noise? In fact, what's going on Rob?!" Hassan demanded.

I had no idea. "How should I know?!"

"You're the smart one here!"

"I don't know what's happening. But, based from what I'm seeing in that cloud, it's like charging. Storing energy to blow up or something. A pipe bomb."

Lemuel gulped. "What do you mean by pipe bomb?"

When I was about to answer, the sky glowed so bright that we had to squint our eyes. The whistling sound started to pierce our ears.

"By charging, you mean DETONATING?" Hassan screeched. "Screw this! DOWN NOW!"

He pulled the two of us down on the floor.

The whistling sound finally stopped.

There was a loud explosion

Then, there was darkness.

I saw nothing but pitch black when I opened my eyes. Scratch that, I couldn't even tell if my eyes were open or not.

"You guys okay?" Hassan's voice was trembling.

Lemuel groaned, "Okay? You freaking pinned us down! Do you know how much you weighed?"

I rolled my eyes. Classic Lemuel. He always ignored the most serious situations. Did you know that he was playing Pokemon Go at his grandfather's funeral?

Somewhere along the darkness, I could see a developing light that was shaped like a swirling vortex.

"Hey guys? Are you seeing this?" I pointed.

We all stood up and walked closely to the vortex of light, which was growing in size. Everyone would agree that it is wrong to get too close to an unidentified object, but curiosity got the better of us.

"I think I've seen enough weird shit today," Hassan commented.

"Language!"

"Don't go all Captain America on me, Lemuel! This is not a laughing matter!"

Once we've gotten closer, I noticed that the vortex took form in the middle of the TV, and weirdly enough the DVD player was still operating.

How come the DVD player was still on when everything around us was enveloped in nothingness? Even the outside world was covered in black. The only light we could see at the moment was the vortex.

"Say, do you think it's some sort of portal?" Lemuel guessed, walking more closely to it.

Hassan began to panic. "Seriously man! Don't go near that thing! It's too dangerous!"

Lemuel snorted. "Come on man, live a little!"

"We don't know what's happening, Adams! Leave that thing alone until we figure out what that thing is!" I ordered, my face stern.

"Okay! Fine! Sheesh!" Lemuel began to turn around.

But when the tip of his finger touched some of the vortex's matter, a sudden force pulled Lem's left hand into it.

"Guys! HELP!"

"Lem!" I ran toward my friend, grabbed his waist and began to pull as hard as I could. Lem felt as if his left arm's going to get impaled from his body.

We both tried our hardest to pull but we couldn't budge. At this rate, half of Lem's body was sucked in.

"HASSAN! DON'T BE A SCAREDY CAT AND HELP US!"

Without hesitation, Hassan dashed quickly and he wrapped his arms around my torso and pulled. But even with the added muscle, it was too late as Lem's entire body was engulfed into the vortex.

I was scared. I knew that vortex was going to suck all of us in it no matter how hard we struggled to get out.

There was no turning back, I'm afraid.

If this thing WAS a portal, I wished that it would take us somewhere habitable.

The only thing I could do was close my eyes, and pray for our safety.

* * *

 _Author's Note!_

 _Never in my wildest dreams I see myself writing a FanFic about this show. But after discovering that it was SO good about three months ago, I officially became a brony (at least 70%)_

 _I know there is a TON of MLP FanFics concerning OC's transported to the colorful Kingdom of Equestria, but thinking about it as a trend, I decided to write one my self. Although I have three OC's_

 _Guys, let me know what you think about the prologue._

 _I'm new to the fandom so bare with me. BROHOOFS!_

 _As always, Favorite it! Follow it! Review it!_

 _See you guys in Chapter 1! **LUMINOUS FADING AWAY...**_

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER: MLP:FiM is owned by Lauren Faust, Hasbro, Hub network and Discovery family.**


	2. New World, New Beginnings

_**The Misadventures of Ponified Friends**_

 _ **Chapter 1: New World, New Beginnings**_

* * *

 _Swirling._

 _Swirling._

 _Swirling._

 _Thud._

* * *

 ** _(Rob's POV)_**

My head hurt so badly. My body was aching. I stirred myself awake, groaning. That was the weirdest dream I ever had in my entire life. Period. But the thing is… why did it felt real? Hell, and why does every part of me hurting?

I was lying down. I had to blink my eyes to adjust at the sudden brightness of the room. I took a breather, and the smell of fresh air entered my nostrils. Must be a new air freshener? I don't remember buying one though. I sighed; time to start the day I guess. I wonder if those two slept through the storm. I remember that we were supposed to watch My Little Pony. Did I just slept earlier? Hmm…

When I tried to get up using my hands as support from my position, I didn't feel the springy, comfy, and soft touch of my bed. Instead, I was touching something very hard, soily, almost earth-like if I should say along with this grassy feel. And not only that, I couldn't feel my fingers. I looked around, surprising myself when I found out that I was in a forest, not in my apartment.

Funny. There's definitely not a forest in sight around our neighborhood. And the forest nearest to us are miles away. Most importantly, why am I in a _freaking forest_? Did Lemuel and Hassan bring me here? Are they playing a prank on me? I suddenly remembered the "dream" I had. Was that just some hallucination? Did those two drugged me so that I could fall asleep? I know I shouldn't think that, but they are the only ones (Especially Lemuel, that rich prankster...) I know that was with me back at my place. Man, this has gone too far!

I tried to stand up, but I quickly found myself struggling immediately. I tried to get my legs straight, but I fell down with a thud.

"What the hell?" I wondered.

I tried again but to no avail.

"Come on legs! Stand up!" I yelled, almost begging.

And this is where I noticed something odd.

When I looked at my legs, my dizziness gone and vision clear, I couldn't help but stare at its condition.

"WHY DO I HAVE A HORSE'S LEGS?!" I screamed.

I attempted to grip my hair in shock, but I winced and got hurt when I felt something hard hit me in the head. I looked at my hands, or rather, hooves? Huh? I tested, moving my "hooves". Okay, for a second, I thought that those two put me in some sort of horse costume to make me look ridiculous. But my hooves felt really, REALLY real. And I could feel my body structure was reorganized, every bone that should not be in that kind of angle. Am I even me?

I need a mirror ASAP.

Somewhere in the distance, I heard a splash of streaming water, it could be a river. Absorbing the fact that I was not in my human body any more, I trotted on all fours towards its direction, falling and tripping down as I was struggling to keep my balance.

Once I was beside the river, I was scared to look at my reflection, for my change in appearance might actually be true. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes, and my was face now above the water.

I opened my eyes slowly, and I wished that this was a dream. I'm a HORSE. With the muzzle, ears and all. My coat was green and a gold bleach became one of my natural hair-er, mane color along with my jet black at the roots. And wait. Is that a HORN on my FOREHEAD?

I chuckled in disbelief. I'm a Unicorn. This was no hallucination. I doubted that I was drugged. It all FELT real. The vortex last night had something to do with this I just know it.

I sat down on the damp grass. I wanted to sleep, and pray that this really was a dream, a nightmare. But there's no time for brooding now. I need to find my friends.

"Lemuel! Hassan!" I called out, facing the direction of the forest. I wondered if they turned into horses too…

Then, I heard voices calling deep within the forest.

"Rob! Come out, come out where ever you are!"

"Rob! It's us! Lemuel and Hassan!"

After hearing their names, I couldn't help but smile in relief. They're okay!

"GUYS! OVER HERE!" I replied with a big yell.

"ROB! IS THAT YOU?" I recognized this voice, It's Lemuel!

"YES! I'M RIGHT NEXT TO A RIVER!"

I heard a stomping of hooves nearing my direction.

Wait. Stomping of hooves?

Then, two stallions jumped out of a bush.

Oh no… I was right. The two DID turn into horses.

The first one had a yellow colored coat and a blue, uncombed mane. I noticed that he had some kind of mark on his flank, a smiling ball of fire. Lastly he had wings, making him a Pegasus. This must be Lemuel.

The other one was superior in both height and in build. His coat was gray and his mane was tied up in cornrows with a mix of silver and black, his tail braided with the same colors. He too had a mark in his flank, this time a silver colored spur. He had no wings or a horn whatsoever. There's no doubt that one's Hassan.

The two arrivals gasped as they took in my new look.

"See? I told you he's a horse too!" Lemuel said, "And look! He has a mark on his butt like us!"

Mark on my butt? Once I heard this, I looked at my own...uh, flank was it? and saw that I had a red star surrounded by a dozen blue thin diamonds that was encircling it. It reminded me of a supernova.

"Robert! We're so glad that you are OK!" Hassan dashed towards me at break neck speed and tackled me with a hug, "Our path will be lost without you my dear friend!"

"Gee, that's sweet of you Hassan!" Geez! I felt like my eyes were about to pop out at any moment!

"Bro! Stop hugging him! He's suffocating!" Lemuel alarmed.

Hassan realized this, "Oh! Sorry my bad!"

"Nah it's okay. I would've done the same thing if I was in your position right now," I waved off the apology as the gray horse helped me up. I'm just glad that we are all okay. Except the turning into a horse part. That sucked.

Lemuel walked right next to us. "Okay, so since everyone is reunited, do any of you know why and how we ended up here?" He demanded.

"Probably the tornado-like thing last night?" Hassan guessed.

Tornado thing? Now I'm convinced that this is real.

"There's a chance that could be right. Before we got sucked up into that vortex I noticed that it took form inside my TV," I told them my observations, the yellow and gray pony listening intently, "And not only that, the DVD player was still on for some reason."

Both of their eyes broadened from some sort of realization. Lemuel groaned, while Hassan began to shake his head in disbelief.

"Huh? Why?" I said, obviously.

"Remember the DVD I brought Rob?" Lemuel said nervously.

"Yeah?" I answered. What does that have to do with this?

"...and do you remember that the DVD is playing THAT show…"

Silence.

Then it hit me, "Oh god. Please don't tell me we're in-"

"My. Little. PONY!" Hassan intervened and he then screamed in anguish, "So THAT'S why we're horses! No! Ponies! Ugh! It feels so girly!"

"Ok, just relax Hassan! The two of us are as shocked as you!"

"Why did we have to change into this-! this-! ANIMALS?!" Hassan glared at Lemuel, "You! This is your entire fault!"

"Me?!" Lemuel scoffed in incredulity, "How is this my fault?!"

"If you hadn't put that cursed DVD none of this would have happened!"

"And how am I supposed to know something as crazy as this was gonna happen?!"

"If you had put it in Civil War, we could be fighting alongside Iron Man right now!"

I stared at him in disbelief, and from the corner of my eye, Lemuel too. Really Hassan?

"Seriously?! That's what you're angry about?! And the digital copy will not come out till next month, you ape!" Lemuel rowed.

"APE?! Who are you to say that I am an ape you talking stick?!" Hassan retorted.

"Who am I? I'm your BEST FRIEND! And we're going to having a friendly argument right now!"

As the two continued to argue, I tried to interrupt, "Uh…Guys?"

The two gazed at each other aggressively, and continued to rain down heated words.

"Guys! Enough! Arguing with each other is pointless!" I tried to get in the way again, but the two was in a trance, a zone as you may call it.

Unconsciously, my patience has run out. I felt my head was about to burst. "I said STOP!"

My horn glowed brightly as I roared, and shot out a powerful shock-wave throughout the forest. Hassan and Lemuel stopped and froze in their tracks, literally, for they couldn't move at all as a green hue surrounded them.

I felt tired after that burst of energy, "What…just…happened?" I said through pants.

"Your horn glowed and shot out something bright dude," Hassan answered, not moving from his position.

"Well, he IS a Unicorn so magic will be a part of him," Lemuel added. "In short, you're the girliest of us all!"

I glared at him. Not a good time Lem.

"Heh heh, not the best time for clowning around huh? What did you do to us any way?"

I wondered. "I just wanted both of you to stop. And well, you know what happened."

"So, when will your powers break us free?" Hassan asked worriedly.

I seriously had no idea. That was the very first time I handled magic. But eventually, the effects of the freezing spell wore off so I had nothing to worry about. It must be weak enough to only last a few seconds.

The two ponies began to stretch their limbs.

"Okay, if we want to know what's going on, we need a place to think this through." I began to discuss. "Lem! If we certainly are in My Little Pony, do you have an idea for a place to settle in?"

Lemuel hummed, "Well, I did overhear some 'Ponyville' place back home when my sister was watching it."

I remembered that in the summary of the disc, this place was mentioned. "So where is this 'Ponyville' you speak of?"

"I don't know man. I never saw an episode of this show!"

"Then what do you think we should do Rob?" Hassan was looking for answers.

I sighed, "I don't know, but it's pretty clear that we have to find a way out of this mysterious woods and go there."

I sat down on the ground and began to think, Hassan and Lemuel waiting for a solution right in front of me. For us to get out of what looks like a very thick forest, we need someone to go high and look for a way.

..and apparently, I know just the man, I mean PONY for the job.

"Lem!" I blurted out, startling said pony.

"Yeah?"

"You transformed as a Pegasus. Do you think you can fly up there and find a way out?"

Lemuel was unsure, "I'm not sure that I CAN. I mean I only had these wings for maybe an hour."

I bit my lip, "But can you try? Please?"

Lemuel looked at his sides, eyeing his two extra pair of limbs. I bet the time he got out of unconsciousness, bewilderment and recovered, he tried to move and control his wings.

"Okay, I'll do it."

My eyes glimmered with hope, and then I began instructing my friend.

"Okay! First, you need focus. Think about everything that makes you happy that could send you floating, and try moving or roll your shoulders to see if it would open." I said.

"Okay!" Lemuel began; his face scrunched and started to form sweat as he grunts in concentration. He moved his shoulders, and the wing did open up. This is a good sign!

"Think about levitating off the ground! Believe that you can fly! Believe that you can touch the sky!" Hassan added.

"Stop saying song lyrics!" Lemuel sneered.

"Sorry."

He concentrated even harder, following my instructions. His wings finally moved, flapping at a slow pace.

"You did it!" Hassan exclaimed.

"Excellent! Now, flap those wings faster AND stronger!"

After hearing the additional command, he willed his wings to wave faster. He managed to float a few inches above the ground, but his face started to contort and scrunch. Is he in pain?

"Hey dude! You okay?!" I asked in apprehension. Both I and Hassan looked at him with fear in our faces.

"No! Not giving up! My friends are depending on me! I can't let you down!" Lemuel declared in determination.

He raised his right hoof up in the sky and shouted, "TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!" And flew five feet in the air, still increasing. The altitude was high enough to look past the tall trees!

Suddenly, his wings stopped flapping, and he felled face first to the solid soil.

Hassan and I winced. That's got to hurt.

"It's all right man! A for effort!" Hassan said with a smile.

"Are you okay Lem? That's a hard fall," I helped the yellow pony up; his face filled with grass and dirt, eyes swirling.

"We can try that again when you're trained enough you hear?"

Lem answered groggily, "Okay…"

But we need to get information somehow. "Let's head on and find Ponyville with our intuition!"

After the declaration, we began to march towards north, the direction of the streaming river.

"Speaking about info, I heard this thing called the 'Everfree Forest'? Scariest place in this world as they say," Lemuel said after he recovered.

"You awfully know a lot about this Pony show…" Hassan looked at Lem suspiciously, "Are you taking a sneak peek when your sister is watching?"

"Our home theater's VERY loud. I couldn't help it." Was the yellow Pegasus' reply.

"Now that you mention it, the trees in this place give me the heeber jeebers,"

"You mean the trees at the place we woke up in?"

"Yeah. They give off a scary aura."

I listened to the conversation at the back.

"Also, I heard that the forest was supposed to be filled with enchanted creatures and beasts and stuff like that."

Hassan gasped, "Then we need to get out here ASAP."

"What? You scared?"

Hassan tried to sound manly, "No I'm not."

"Oh yeah? Then why are you scared of trees? It's not like they can kill you or anything."

"I told you, they're creepy looking!"

I was glad that everything seemed to be back to the way it was, well at least our usual antics as friends. As Lemuel continued to tease the gray pony, I heard a loud splash in the river, and I checked it out of curiosity. Something big was emerging from it, and it revealed a ginormous purple dragon, with a mustache, and orange stylish hair. I would have laughed at it by how ridiculous it looked if I'm watching the show, but I didn't. I stopped, stared at the dragon in shock and terror with my mouth a gape.

"A!-A!-A!" I was lost for words.

The purple dragon roared.

"DRAGOOOOOON!"

"OH SHIT!" I heard Hassan curse behind me.

"Would you look at that? A dragon with a moustache! That's cute!" Lemuel said jubilantly.

"YOU'RE KIDDING RIGHT?!" Hassan went behind Lemuel and bit the Pegasus' nape and dragged him away from the dragon.

"Ow! What the hell man!?" Lemuel cried.

I never ran this fast before, but enough to only see me as a blur of green dashing past the two in tow.

* * *

We went on and ran for minutes until fatigue caught up to us. We didn't even care where we ended up in. I flopped down on the ground and soon after Hassan, who was still holding Lemuel on his neck with his teeth. Finally released from a tight grip, Lemuel began to rub his nape.

"You really need to loosen your grip pal! I thought I was gonna break my neck!"

Hassan was about to answer back as he raised his hoof, but he was too exhausted so it didn't matter now. For some reason, he felt stronger than before, being a stallion obviously and based from personal experience. But to possibly carry a 500 pound horse with his mouth? I would do anything to get this kind of strength.

After regaining my breath, I took in the new environment. No longer surrounded by wild trees and bushes, we are now in some kind of apple farm? When I looked at the distance, I could see a big red barn, right next to it a simple household with the same hue.

"Uh, Excuse me?"

A voice emerged right next to us, and we caught sight of a female pony. Her coat was orange with her blonde mane and tail in a simple braid. She had three apple marks on each side of her flank and she wore a cowboy hat.

I quickly recognized her as one of the ponies in the front cover of the DVD case.

"May I help you? Do you have some kind of business here?" She demanded.

"Uh, actually we do need some help," I pointed at the two behind me, "You see, we're kind of new here and we got lost in that forest over there."

"You went in the Everfree Forest? Glad you fellas are safe!" She said, "Some ponies say that place is full of monsters and scary creatures ya here?"

Monsters AND scary creatures? So the dragon wasn't the only one in that forest?

Hassan shivered at the back.

I chuckled, "Don't worry. We'll be careful from now on. So anyways, we're looking for a place called Ponyville. Do you happen to know its location?"

The pony nodded, "Course I do! Just head out Sweet Apple Acres and turn left! You won't miss it!"

I sighed in relief, "Oh finally! Thank you so much…uh…"

"Applejack! My name's Applejack!" She proclaimed as she shook hoofs with me vigorously. My whole body was shaking.

For a female pony, she was crazy strong.

"You heard that guys? Ponyville is nearby!" I told them, rubbing my right hoof that Applejack just shook.

"Great! I could jump and run around out of joy if I wasn't famished!" Lemuel announced.

"Me too. We haven't eaten anything yet. Not even dinner," Hassan joined.

Great. I just realized that not only would we struggle to find the answers of our transportation here, but now we would have problems regarding food, wealth AND shelter.

"You haven't eaten yet? Well, we could share some of our baked goodies back home." Applejack offered.

I saw Hassan and Lemuel smiled at the invitation, but I declined immediately, "Oh no! No! It's okay! We can handle ourselves! And besides, we only just met."

"Oh don't you worry. We have enough for every pony! You said the three of you are new around the neighborhood so let me treat you as guests. It's the least I could do!"

"…Are you sure?"

"Absolutely! Now get off your flanks and let me show you the way around! We Apple's REALLY love to make new friends!" Applejack encouraged us as she started to walk towards the direction of the barn. We followed her.

"Gee, thank you for your hospitality Applejack," I thanked.

"It's nothing to thank for- uh…I'm sorry I haven't catch your name yet."

"Oh right! My name's Ro-"

Before I had the chance to introduce myself, Lemuel blocked my mouth with a hoof.

"Woah there wait just a minute! Huddle now!" Lemuel commanded, earning him looks.

"Come on, men!"

Hassan and I rolled our eyes.

"Here he goes again…" Hassan muttered.

"Hope you don't mind Applejack? My friend back there probably has something important to say." I said as I turned back to face her.

"Sure thing! I'll wait for you while I continue bucking some apple trees," She informed and took off. Bucking?

"What is it now, Lemuel?" I asked when I joined the huddle. I expect a good reason. It's rude to just interfere in a conversation you know.

"Look, I was thinking about this while you two were talking about a minute ago, but what if we use our pony names during our stay in this world?" Lemuel recommended.

"Pony names? Seriously?" Hassan raised a brow, "But why? What's wrong with our real names?"

"Our names are, I don't know, might sound weird to the ponies around here?"

"I don't really care man. Applejack is a weird sounding name to me."

I agreed as I nodded. I think there was no need to change our names.

"Oh come on guys! We're in a new world! And we need new identities! I already thought of mine!" Lemuel said with a smile.

"And what is that?" I asked.

Lemuel grinned, "Speedy Glee!"

"...Wow." Yes, I said that in a monotone, un-amused voice.

Hassan held back his laughter, "Seriously bro?"

"What? When I saw the mark on my butt that's the first thing that came to my mind!"

"Really? That fast?"

"Yeah!" He looked at Hassan's flank mark. "What's that supposed to be? A shuriken?"

"I think it's a spur." I thought that to, Hassan.

"A spur? Why? Because you're a basketball player and your favorite team is the San Antonio Spurs?"

"Maybe?"

"Well it makes a lot of sense actually," I joined in. "You know, I think Silver Spur fits you like a T."

"Silver Spur, huh?" Hassan looked like he would consider, "Well, I could go with that."

"Silver Spur it is! Though Silver Shuriken sounds more cooler," Lemuel then looked at me, "How about you? Had a pony name yet?"

Did I really need to think about this? It seems childish I know. It's one of those moments where you have a favorite TV show and then you imagine yourself in it, or you have your own character interacting with the other characters. What was it called again? Original Character? Well obviously. I've heard one of the anime addicts in our class call it that.

I gradually accepted. We have to blend in their way of life if we need to get out of suspicion later on in the future. I looked back at my mark. A red star. A dozen blue diamonds encircling it.

A super nova. Something came to mind.

"I already thought about that," I smiled, "Now come on. Applejack's waiting for us,"

We walked towards said pony, kicking apple trees with enough force that dozens of the fruit fell down. So that's bucking! I noticed that she already filled a dozen buckets full of apples.

"Wow. That's a lot…" I trailed off.

"Eeyup! Finest in all of Equestria!" She picked up three from a bucket and threw it at the us. "Try some!"

The three of us looked at each other, shrugged, and took a bite from our apples. Our taste buds exploded.

"OH MAMA! This is the best apple I ever had!" Lemuel praised as he devoured it in one bite, munching happily.

"It's so sweet! Like candy!" Hassan took small bites, savoring the flavor.

"You're right Applejack! You do have the finest apples!" I admired. The taste was something I never experienced before. The sweet, zestiness of the fruit was heaven. Also, this apple's officially the first animated food I've ate.

"Aw shucks, thank you every pony. It's been this way for many generations." Applejack said proudly.

The apples almost made us forget the reason we were here.

"I almost forgot! Sorry about the intrusion earlier. Let me introduce ourselves. That yellow one over there is Speedy Glee. The gray one here is Silver Spur. And I'm Star Blast."

Each pony waved at Applejack when their names were called.

"Pleasure to meet your acquaintance! Now let me introduce you to the Apple family!"

* * *

 _Author's Note!_

 _I'm having fun writing this._

 _So our three heroes ended up inside the show? Whaaaaaaaaaat?_

 _They even created their own "Pony" names XD_

 _As always, Fav it! Follow it! Review and tell me what you think!_

 _Until the next chapter! **LUMINOUS FADING AWAY...**_

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT MY THREE OC'S!**


	3. Apples and Rainbows

**_The Misadventures of Ponified Friends_**

 ** _Chapter 2: Sweet Apples and a Dash of Rainbow_**

* * *

After a brief walk, we finally arrived at the barn. Applejack went towards the post that hung a triangle instrument then she rang it.

"SOUP'S ON EVERYPONY! WE HAVE GUESTS!" she yelled.

The ground began to shake, and a parade of ponies started to overwhelm us as we spun around. Once the dust settled, we found a table set up in our front.

"Well that was quick," Speedy commented.

"I know right? This only happens in cartoons," Spur added.

I shushed them. You might be thinking why I'm calling them as their OC names. Yes, OC names because "pony names" didn't sound right to me. I need to get used to it so I can avoid suspicion.

It turned out that they were family, and each member was introduced to us by none other than Applejack. The first one was named Applefritter (who brought an actual apple fritter), Appledumpling (who brought an actual apple dumpling), Red Gala (who brought an apple flavored cupcake) and so many more ponies introduced that had their own respective dessert.

Although her tone was different when she introduced Big Mac (The red, gigantic farm stallion) Applebloom (A young, little green pony) and Granny Smith who was sleeping in her rocking chair. I thought they must be the ones closest to her.

Eventually, the table had chock-full of goodies. Glee and Silver's mouth began to water as their eyes sparkled at the mountain of desserts.

If this was an anime, I would have sweat dropped at the sight. Applejack took her place right next to me as she sat down.

"Uh…Isn't this a lot? We don't really eat that much," I said.

"Oh don't mind it. Besides, I can see Speedy and Silver over here is enjoying it," she pointed at the two already digging in at the apple inspired desserts to their hearts content.

Speedy leaned to his left and told me, "Bruh! You've got to try their apple pies!"

I sighed, "Correction: I don't eat that much."

Applejack laughed, "You know, you three are the second one's to visit our place,"

"Oh?"

"Eeyup! A purple Unicorn named Twilight Sparkle tried all our goodies for the Summer Sun Celebration!"

"Twilight Sparkle… Why does that name ring a bell?" I heard Speedy Glee wondered to himself, his face full of crumbs.

Twilight Sparkle… Did she mean the protagonist of this show? I remembered in the summary that this Twilight pony was on a mission in Ponyville because of friendship or something like that.

"Summer Sun Celebration?" Silver asked, holding a cupcake.

"You don't know? It's too commemorating the longest day of the year! We would be up all night to early mornin' until Princess Celestia raises the sun with her magic." Applejack explained.

"Sounds fun! Can we join in?" Speedy excitedly asked.

"Of course! Every pony in Equestria will be celebrating! This year, the Princess herself will raise the sun right here in Ponyville!"

I listened to her explanation. So this Summer Sun Celebration was like our New Years Eve, only they were celebrating a Summer Solstice.

I'm still deciding whether I'll eat a fritter or a pie first. All of them looked delicious to me. I have a sweet tooth you know.

"While y'all here, mind if I ask some few questions?" she said.

I nodded, "Sure, go."

"Where did ya'll come from?"

My eyes widened by the question. Silver looked at me with also widened eyes. Was he prompting me to make up an answer?

"The way you speak Star Blast, I'd say you live in some fancy place like Canterlot!" Applejack guessed.

"No we don't. We live in Oklahoma City!" Speedy answered absentmindedly.

"Uh, Okla-what city?" Applejack repeated.

Silver nudged Glee with his elbow, "You idiot!"

"Oops."

I face-hoofed. Ouch.

"Sorry, but I never heard of a place like that before…"

I began to explain, "You see Applejack, Oklahoma is an isolated town in the kingdom. Barely everyone in Equestria knew its existence." As much as I hated to lie, I had to do it. I couldn't risk someone or everyone in this world knowing that we came from another dimension, or they're fictional characters of a TV show.

"Yes! Meeting new ponies besides the ones in our place are a new found experience for us!" At least Silver said was the truth.

"I totally agree! I have never even heard the word 'apple' before we ended up in your farm!" Speedy Glee said, making us roll our eyes.

Applejack seemed to be not convinced in our lies. I smiled awkwardly, if that helps.

"If that's so, then we should be heading back to Ponyville now! I'd love to show you around town!"

I smiled in relief, "That would be great. Thank you."

Big Mac, Applejack's older brother, whispered something to her. Her ears drooped. Must be bad news.

"Sorry fellas. Big Mac reminded me that we need to set up our Apple stand at the market place in town. Maybe some other time?" She apologized.

We didn't mind, "It's okay Applejack," Silver Spur answered.

"If you want to, we can help you bring the apples to town!" Speedy Glee suggested.

"Oh, that's wonderful help but Big Mac and I already have it covered."

"No no! We insist! Think of this is a thank you for your hospitality and kindness to us," I said firmly, "And besides! The more ponies helping each other, the easier the job would be finished."

Applejack nodded, finally approving.

"All righty then. After you colts done eatin' you can help us load them goodies in that wagon over there," she pointed to a wagon full of apples parked in front of the barn.

"Big Mac, you don't mind them taking over, do you?"

The big red stallion shook his head, "Nope!" glad that he can take the rest of the day off.

After we finished our meal we followed Applejack to her house, which is a nice and simple abode. I suddenly felt sleepy to the warm atmosphere. Ugh, now I'm home sick.

"You can find the trays of pastries in the kitchen. Star Blast and Speedy Glee will take 'em out while me and Silver over here bring out the wagon," Applejack instructed.

"YES MA'AM!" We saluted like soldiers.

The orange pony chuckled at the spectacle, "Better start working now."

Silver Spur followed Applejack out of the house, leaving me and Speedy Glee behind. We looked at the table filled with freshly baked goods. Speedy Glee inhaled the explicit scent as he sighed with pleasure.

"If these were sold back in our place, it would cost a fortune!" He assumed.

"I'm sure it will. Now let's get these things out," I ordered.

We stood silent for a second as we examined the trays. I just realized something.

"How exactly are we gonna pick these up anyway? We don't have hands you know." Speedy wondered for me.

"…Still thinking about it Lem."

I marched forward and tried to pick up a tray. I balanced it with my two front hooves. I managed to lift it up.

"See? It wasn't so hard to-"

The tray slipped from my grasp, almost dropping the pies. Good thing I brought it up for only a few inches. It gave me a mini-heart attack!

"What the heck man? You want red giant over there to kill us?" Speedy Glee exclaimed.

"Sorry," I smiled in embarrassment.

"You're a Unicorn for crying out loud! Can you try to make them float with magic?"

"If I COULD, I would have done it earlier," I rubbed my horn, "I still don't know how this kind of thing works here." And I need to learn it quick. This is the best and neatest kind of self-defense.

Frustrated, Speedy Glee bit the tray and lifted it up, balancing it.

"Well this works! Now hurry up and carry it outside!" He said through gritted teeth.

I followed my friend's example, and we slowly finished the task.

* * *

Applejack helped Silver Spur adjust in the saddle connected to the wagon. Feeling its tight support, we were now ready to depart.

"See you all later every pony!" Applejack bid farewell. Her family waved back and continued to enjoy the family reunion.

There was an awkward moment of silence as we continued to walk through the beautiful sight of the country side.

"So…this…Oklahoma place. Was it nice?" Applejack asked walking in front of us three stallions.

"Oh yes! Very friendly and good people-I mean ponies!" Silver Spur responded.

"I don't know, the occasional tornadoes WERE irritating. Always destroying our properties and putting a lot of us in danger," Speedy Glee said.

"Then the Pegasi in your town must be doing a PRETTY good job," Applejack said sarcastically.

Glee and Spur tilted their heads in confusion. I replied for them, "Yeah! They do… heh heh."

So a Pegasus has the ability to control weather? That's new.

Speaking of Pegasus, we heard the sound of a loud whoosh in the clear sky. On instinct, Speedy Glee hid under the wagon due to a trauma that concerned loud noises. From up above, we could see a rainbow streak, dashing through the clouds.

"Well speak of the devil!" Applejack said with a smile, "Hey Rainbow Dash!"

The streak of rainbow stopped, hearing somepony call her name. She gently floated down in front of us. She was a light blue coated mare, with her mane and tail shaded in different types of colors. The mark on her flank was a cloud with a rainbow colored lightning bolt.

Oddly enough, she was the only Little Pony character I could recognize even before Lemuel brought the DVD case. She was one of the memes I always saw on 9gag, even on Youtube when the topic was about Bronies.

"Hey Applejack!" The pony named Rainbow Dash greeted as she landed. "Pretty big day tomorrow huh?"

"I'm sure it will. How's your job goin? You're not lazyin' around are ya?"

"Are you kidding me? I can clear out the clouds all over Ponyville in less than a minute!" Rainbow Dash declared rather arrogantly.

"If you say so. Any who, I'd like you to meet some new friends," She pointed to us three, "This here is Star Blast, Silver Spur, and Speedy Glee!"

"Hey Rainbow Dash," We said hello in unison.

"Hey every pony. New faces again, huh? You three visiting Ponyville for the Summer Sun Celebration?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Uh, not exactly. We actually came from a far distant land and we just lost our way around," said Silver Spur.

"He's right. This is the first time we've heard about it. So we decided to check it out and see other pony's culture," I added. Hope that's convincing enough though.

"Really?" Rainbow Dash asked, surprised, "And now that I've noticed, where's the other pony? I thought there were three of you?"

"Down here…" Speedy Glee said, still under the wagon.

I looked down, "What are you doing there? Get up!"

"I am traumatized to loud, explosive, and roaring sounds! And I'm surprised that you two aren't!"

He finally crawled out, tidying himself as brushed off the dirt on his coat and waved at the rainbow maned mare, "Hi ya!"

"A Pegasus?" she went in front of Glee in a blur, "So you're Speedy Glee huh?"

He nodded. Her face was so close to his for his liking. Rainbow Dash went circles around him, examining his physique maybe? Glee felt REALLY uncomfortable.

"Uh…What are you doing?" He questioned.

But Rainbow Dash ignored his demand, "You look pretty fast. Hey! Maybe after the celebration you and I can have a race?"

He blinked, "Wait a minute. Are you challenging me?"

"Duh?! Of course! I got to prove to everyone that I'm the best flier in Equestria!" She flew up in the air, "and I have to prove that I got what it takes to be a Wonderbolt! So you better be ready!"

He blinked, "Wonderbolt?"

"Yeah! They're the most talented and awesomest fliers ever!" Rainbow Dash fangirled, I could see the admiration in her eyes, "They'll be performing at the Summer Sun Celebration tomorrow! I can't wait to show off my stunts that I practiced!"

"She's quite a handful isn't she?" Applejack said, "Just accept it Glee. She'll keep bugging you if you didn't."

"Oh I'd love to have a race with her. But- ah…I had this injury of mine recently and it's acting out so…"

"Just do it you wimp!" Silver Spur bantered.

"YOU do it!"

"I'm not the one with wings around here!"

"I'm with Hassan- I mean Silver here." I supported, "You should accept."

"Come on man! You know I can't fly!"

"You CAN! You just need to learn how to control those wings, and maybe she can teach you a thing or two about flying," Silver promoted, "At least you'll learn something and get a new friend right?"

"Wait, what do you mean you can't fly?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking at Speedy.

"Look, from where we came from we don't have flight school for kids. Only the adults managed to learn how to fly properly."

"Wow. Your place sounds like it really sucks."

"I know right? And worst of all, our best flyer in the name of KEVIN DURANT left us!"

And there goes something that's not related to the conversation. He still couldn't get over that? And he's taking out his anger now?

"Who's Kevin Durant?" I heard Applejack ask behind me.

I sighed. Okay I got this. "Kevin Durant was the best _flyer_ in our place, I think."

"Then he left our town after he got beat by someone named Steph Curry in a game!" Silver added in delight. He must be glad that Kevin Durant left the OKC Thunder. They did beat the San Antonio Spurs last playoffs.

"Wow! What a loser!" Rainbow Dash commented. "Oh, and I don't mind coaching you. I promise that you'll learn from the best!" Rainbow Dash said proudly, "And after that, we're going to have our RACE!"

"I'm pretty sure you can beat me with ease." Speedy Glee sighed in utter defeat, "Fine."

"Any time, any place." Rainbow Dash settled and flew up higher, "I'd love to show you guys around, but I got to clear out the clouds first for the celebration. See you all later!" She waved goodbye and took off like a jet, leaving a trail of a rainbow streak.

"I can't possibly keep up with HER!" Glee pointed to the sky his face full of awe, "She's like the pony version of Sonic!"

"Well she did accept to take you under her wing, so that's a good thing sugarcube!" Applejack reassured, "RD is one of the best ponies I know. She might be stubborn and brash most of the time, but she'll never disappoint you, I guarantee it!"

Speedy Glee nodded in understanding, "Alright. Can we get going now?"

* * *

 _Author's Note! (Part 2)_

 _The three finally met 2/6 of the Mane Six!_

 _And I just watched the first Equestria Girls movie. Is it weird if I thought Fluttershy was SO HOT in her human form? XD_

 _Anyways, Fav it! Follow it! Review and tell me what you think! (Seriously...)_

 _See you guys in Chapter 3! **LUMINOUS FADING AWAY…**_

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!**


	4. The Friendliest Place They Visited

**_The Misadventures of Ponified Friends_**

 ** _Chapter 3: The Friendliest Place EVER_**

* * *

We ogled at the town's appearance.

The architectural structures were mostly medieval like, except for a few buildings that we passed by like the spa (which Speedy Glee thought was awesome), the bakery, and the one with the carousel rooftop. The cottages were completed out of wood and the roofs were made out of what appears to be straw? Hay? I don't know. The residents of the town were looking quite friendly, conversing at one another.

And according to my friend, Speedy Glee, very colorful and girly.

After the slight sight-seeing, we arrived at the Market place. The stalls were mostly run by regular looking ponies, selling all kinds of vegetables, fruits and even house old appliances. The place was very busy, customers and vendors alike.

We found the Apple family's stall cart, and Applejack ordered to hurry up.

"Come on fellas! We're already late!" She said.

Silver Spur stopped and Applejack helped him out in taking off the wagon's saddle attached to him. Speedy Glee and I brought out the buckets of apples, with difficulties of course. We helped out placing the apples in the stall.

"Thank you guys again for the help," Applejack thanked.

"It was nothing. This is a wagon full of apples you know. It can take you a lot of time," I said.

"Blast, I've been doing this for YEARS. I could handle this myself if I wanted to," Applejack assured, "And while I'm runnin' business here, why don't ya'll wander around town and get to know the place? Isn't that what you're here for?"

"Well, I suppose…"

"You know what?" She reached for a bag placed inside the wagon. She grabbed it with her teeth and threw it at me, barely catching it by pressing my hooves together. Rustling sounds of metal rung out from it. I looked at Applejack.

"I can lend you colts some bits for your own personal use. You can pay me back when you can," Applejack said.

"Bits?" I opened the bag and looked inside, revealing a lot of gold coins. From behind, Silver and Speedy stared at the contents.

"Wow. You just shared us your family's food this morning and NOW you're lending us money? You're like the epitome of nice!" Speedy exclaimed.

"Thank you," Applejack then urged the three of us to get going by bumping us with her head, "Now go on and have fun in Ponyville!"

Surrendering, we accepted her money and bid farewell. Applejack then began to run business.

"APPLES! GET YOUR DELICIOUS AND NUTRITIOUS APPLES HERE!"

* * *

"Man, I have never met any stranger that nice before!" Silver Spur commented as we walked along town.

"I agree bro. Applejack's like a freaking charity worker!" Speedy remarked.

"We're fortunate enough to end up in her family's farm and meet her, guys. So that's why we have to find jobs for money somehow to repay her," I stated, "Or we could just, I don't know, NOT spend the money she gave to us?"

"I highly doubt that, Rob," Speedy then pointed to the building that looked like a ginger bread house, "Have you smelled the food there? It's heavenly!"

"We can eat there when it's lunch, Lem."

Unconsciously, we ended up in front of a huge building encircled by the cottages, making it its center. The children were happily playing while the adults trotted along and chatted.

"Where are we?" Speedy wondered.

I observed, "Town square maybe? I mean it kind of looks like it."

Silver hummed, "Why don't we ask that pony over there?"

We looked from where he pointed out, eyeing a white mare Unicorn with a stylish purple mane. She kept looking around the surroundings with a worried expression. Huh, she kind of looked familiar…

"Out of all the ponies Hassan, she's the one you picked?" Speedy looked more closely to the white Unicorn, "And she looks troubled for some reason."

"Then we should help out and ask her what's wrong!" Silver then began to walk towards her.

"Wait, where do you think you're going?" I demanded.

Knowing him, he was a shy type to girls. Why the sudden courage?

"To help the damsel in distress!" Hassan answered, not looking back.

"Damsel in distress?" Speedy stifled in his laughter. "Man, literature class really took it out of you!"

When Silver was much closer to the mare, he cleared his throat and called, "Uh excuse me ma'am?"

The mare looked back to face him, her eyes were a sparkling blue with her eyelids wearing a light blue tinted make up.

I don't know about you guys, but it felt like Silver's heart skipped a beat.

"Uh yes? You called, sir?" She asked, looking at the star-stricken stallion. Her voice sounded really sophisticated and classy. She tilted her head, and tried to get the gray pony back to earth.

Oh, now I remember! She was also one of the ponies in the cover!

She waved a hoof in front of his face, "Uh excuse me, but were you the one who called my attention?"

"Uh…What?" He said like an idiot. See?

Meanwhile , Speedy Glee was laughing madly beside me.

"Oh my god, dude! His reaction is so funny when he talks to girls! Especially if they're attractive!" he said.

"You really love it when Hassan's suffering, huh?" I stated.

"I can't help it man! He looks so cute! And I'm not even mentioning that he's freaking out to a girl PONY!"

I shook my head, I was clearly not amused.

Now back to Silver Spur's dilemma.

He finally managed to talk normally, shaking his head to clear his mind, "Oh, I-I-I'm sorry if I spaced out. I was thinking of something… extraordinary."

She smiled, "Oh is that so? So, what do you want darling?"

"You know, my friends and I are new in town and we kinda needed help from ponies to ask for our exact destination. Then I noticed you looked kind of troubled and I was going to ask what was wrong."

"That's so nice of you to worry. Well you're in town square sir," She answered with a smile that made Silver's face heat up, "And as for my troubled look…"

"It's okay if you won't tell me. I mean it's none of my business," Silver said.

"It's okay darling. I just made a new friend that came all the way from Canterlot to overseer the Summer Sun Celebration. I was about to give her the best dress and jewels that I have in my boutique so she can look FABULOUS tomorrow," She sighed, "But when I came back to fit it on her she just disappeared."

"What does she look like? Maybe me and my friends can tell you if we happen to see her by," Silver offered.

"Really? Well, she's a purple Unicorn named Twilight Sparkle."

That's the second time we've heard Twilight's name.

"Purple Unicorn. Twilight Sparkle. Got it," Silver finalized, "Thank you by the way for answering my question Miss…"

"Rarity, darling. My name is Rarity," She shook hoofs with Silver, who blushed at the contact.

"I am Silver Spur. My friends back there are Speedy Glee, the yellow one and the green one is Star Blast. It was a pleasure meeting you."

So miss Rarity looked over Silver and waved at us. We waved back with genuine smiles.

"Very well then Sir Silver, I must get going now. There's still a lot of work to do decorating the town hall."

Silver nodded understandably, "Okay. Good luck Miss Rarity."

She waved at the stallion farewell, and trotted gracefully up the Town Hall's podium. She used her magic to open the large door and went inside.

Silver stared dreamily. Oh boy. Does he have a…Nah that's impossible.

"Ooooh~! Somebody's in LOOOVE~!" Speedy bellowed behind, startling the gray pony.

"Shut up, Lem…"

"Oh yeah? Why are you blushing? And we saw you staring at her, bub! Don't deny it! "

"You say another word I will break your neck!"

"Okay, okay enough you guys. You don't want to make a scene here now, do you?" I stepped in between the two, "So, we're in Town's Square?"

He nodded, "and the Town Hall will be the site of the celebration. Also, she was looking for some Twilight Sparkle who left her hanging while she was trying out some clothes for her. Correct me if I'm wrong but, isn't she the hero of this world?"

"She is. And not only that, we've already met three of the main characters." I said.

"Seriously?" he asked.

"Yeah. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and that pony you just met."

"Rarity?"

"Wow… Talk about coincidence, huh?" We nodded at Speedy's statement. "Anywho, it's lunch now so can we go to the bakery place I pointed earlier?"

I rolled my eyes, "Fine, fine. Just to shut your mouth, okay?"

"I'll shove a whole cake down his throat if he doesn't get his mouth shut…" Silver muttered.

"YOU SAYING, SOMETHING LOVER BOY?"

"I said that I am so hungry that I can shove a whole cake down my throat! Let's get going!"

Was there a day that these two wouldn't argue?

* * *

We wandered around town a little bit looking for the bakery. It was called 'Sugarcube Corner'. The sweet smell of desserts lingered out of an open window. We breathed it in and sighed in pleasure.

"Man this smell's better than the ones in Krispy Kreme and Dunkin' Donuts!" Speedy declared in delight.

"You know, I actually can't wait to try it out!" I also joined in the anticipation.

"Then what are we standing around here for? Let's go in!" Silver Spur added.

Before we got in though, some pony opened the door. She was pink, her puffy mane a darker kind of pink and she was carrying out what looks like are party decorations.

Of course, we moved out of the way for the pink pony.

"Hey ponies I never met before!" She thanked with a cheery smile and hopped along happily.

"Vice-versa!" Speedy replied and went inside the shop, followed by Silver Spur.

Before I had the chance to walk a step, I heard a loud crash behind me. I turned around and I saw that the pink pony dropped her party supplies.

"Are you okay, Miss?" I walked towards her and picked up the party supplies near me. The pink pony didn't even move a muscle. She was just standing there.

I looked worriedly at her. I wonder what happened.

Then she quickly spun around and stared at me. I was downright startled.

"Uhm…Are you okay?"

"Th-th-thr" she muttered.

I leaned closer so I could hear what she was saying.

She breathed in deeply, and shouted, "THREE MORE PONIES?!"

She scrambled, picking up the party supplies that she dropped and ran away cartoonishly.

I was left with the trail of dust, and also, I feel like I'm deaf for seconds. Okay. What just happened? And… Please don't tell me that she's another main character here.

I finally went inside the shop, the ginger bread house design and interior was the same on the inside. I saw Speedy Glee and Silver Spur eyeballing the glorious master pieces, which were the desserts.

"What are you picking, Lem?" Silver questioned.

"I'm probably in the mood for donuts now," He answered, "How about you? I noticed the look you're giving to that chocolate cake."

"Maybe I'll go for that."

"Hey guys. Mind if I take a look at the food here? Also, don't buy too much." I went in between them at the line.

"Well you better hurry up dude. I'm ordering," said Speedy.

"Anything's fine with me. Or actually, that peach pie looks good."

A blue pony with a pink mane that looked like frosting took place in the counter, "Welcome to Sugar Cube Corner! How can I help you, young gentle colts?" She greeted.

"Uh, how much for a slice of chocolate cake, a box of sprinkled donuts, and a slice of peach pie ma'am?" Speedy asked kindly.

"Oh, that'll be ten bits dearie!"

I gave him the bag of bits (which miraculously stayed in place on my back) and took out the amount needed. I think I need a bigger bag for it so that I could carry it around easily. The blue pony, probably the owner of the place, readied the food and then served them.

"Enjoy!" she said one last time before coming back to the kitchen. We wasted no time eating the food to our hearts content as we looked for a table.

After the satisfying lunch, the three of us wandered around town for a while to be more familiarized with the place until it was 4 in the afternoon. We stopped by the town square park, sitting down near a pond as we conversed.

"Our day is rather going well than I expected," Silver Spur commented.

"I know right?" Speedy Glee looked at Silver, "Last night we were scared shitless by a weird portal and the next thing we know we're enjoying our stay here in pony wonderland!"

"As much as it is indeed enjoyable, we still have to find answers for why we were brought here," I intervened, I filled my voice with seriousness, "And have you guys completely forgotten our lives back home?"

"Who cares? In this place we can get rid of our worries and start out something new!" Speedy spoke out.

"Would you please not talk so selfishly, Lemuel? We have friends, responsibilities, and families back in our world and you're just accepting this with open arms just like that?"

With that, Speedy Glee looked down on the ground, feeling ashamed for not thinking his words carefully.

"Look, I don't want to sound rude, but I want you guys to take this more seriously. We weren't brought here in this universe just so that we could have fun! We don't even know why we were brought here in the first place!"

"Woah, chill man," Speedy tried to calm me down.

"We understand you, Rob." Silver said, "But let me ask you this. Is there even a WAY to go back? If there is, how do we even start?"

I turned my head away. My face marked with a scowl.

"I'm gonna take a walk for a moment," I said, standing up. I feel like I'm ruining their day again…

As I walked away, I could feel the two staring at my retreating form.

"That escalated quickly. There he goes again with his other self…" Speedy said gloomily.

"He always does that when he thinks too much, huh?" Silver observed.

"And when he thinks too seriously or he's moody," He sighed sadly. "He's probably thinking that he's a killjoy again."

"Let him take some of his alone time to recover. And then we'll go and talk to him."

Those were the words I heard before I got the distance I wanted away from them. I walked sullenly, my head slumped. Silver had a point. What if there WAS no way to go back? I was even willing to travel the whole kingdom of _Equestria or whatever_ from top to bottom just to seek it. Heck, I hadn't even made a plan to begin with so what's the point? And how can they be so care-free about this? Even Hassan's enjoying the My Little Pony universe. I can still remember the way he acted when we transformed into ponies just this morning.

Enough with the sudden mood swing. I had to stop thinking too much. It's making me stressed out. Moreover, it was really bad for me to be gloomy considering my history.

I walked continuously, until something caught my ears. Birds were rather chirping harmoniously and in rhythm, perched in a small tree I just passed by.

Birds singing? No surprise there. This was a cartoon world after all so I ignored it.

"Uhm…Excuse me sir?"

A soft and gentle voice called for my attention from behind. She was a Pegasus. A yellow, nearly buttery in color was her coat and a long, pink mane and tail that flowed so lovely in the wind.

There's something about her that made me at ease.

"Oh… uhm, I was teaching my dear birds sing for the celebration tomorrow," She said in a kind voice, with a hint of shyness, "but I couldn't help but notice the long frown you have…"

"Oh so you did, huh?" I said, not realizing it was in a rather harsh tone. The yellow mare backed away.

"Oh, darn it. I'm sorry if I sounded rude," I apologized, "It's just that…It's been a long day for me and my friends."

"It's okay, I understand," She replied, "Did… something bad happen?"

"We came from a far place away from Ponyville. One night, some weird…thing just brought us here, a place that we haven't even heard of," Wait, why did I just said that? I didn't even tell Applejack that information. I mean, I just met this pony! A complete STRANGER.

The friendly atmosphere of this place must be rubbing on me. And this pony's kind, timid, innocent appearance did not help at all.

She gasped, "Oh no, that's terrible!"

"We actually freaked out at first. You could say we were culture shocked. But we actually came to enjoy and like it here," I began unconsciously, "But I told them to take this matter more seriously, so I walked away so that I wouldn't ruin their day and avoid an argument."

"Why would you even think that? You should go back and talk to them. They're your friends, right? I'm sure they'll understand." She said reassuringly.

I sighed, "I don't know. I'm not good at that kind of stuff."

The yellow pony flew closer to me, "Don't worry. I'm sure they will. I hate it when friendships end like that."

I chuckled heartily, "It won't. We're practically brothers, you know."

There was a moment of silence.

"Thank you. I actually feel a lot better now. My name is Star Blast." I introduced myself with gratitude.

The yellow pony looked down, poking the ground with a hoof then she replied bashfully, "I'm…Fluttershy…"

But because she spoke so softly, I had to ask, "What was that?"

"It's… Fluttershy…"

"Hm? Did you just say 'Fluttershy'?"

She nodded.

I couldn't help but chuckle at her sudden shyness. So there was a reason she was named Fluttershy, "I'm guessing you're not that kind of pony that randomly talks to someone?"

She nodded, confirming that it's a yes.

"Hey? Even though I'm a stranger that was just passing by, you went out and talked to me to see what was wrong. I respect that."

"…Thank you."

The two of us then looked at each other eye to eye for a moment, our gazes unfazed to the sudden chill of the evening wind.

Realizing that we were having an intimate moment (probably… maybe…), she turned her face away with a blush.

What's with this new feeling? My heart was going crazy in my chest. I had never felt this before, even back at our world. Our school had a lot of pretty and cute girls; at least that's what they said. But what made this…Pony so special?

Oh great. Now I'm having a crush on her.

"I…uh, guess I need to get going now. My friends must be worried," I said.

"And I need to go back to help the birds practice," Fluttershy added.

We looked at each other once again.

"It was nice meeting you Fluttershy," I said with a smile.

"It was nice meeting you too, Star Blast. And welcome to Ponyville," she replied with a smile of her own.

We went our separate ways as I turned back to the pond I just hung out earlier with Speedy Glee and Silver. If I was completely honest to myself, I couldn't wait to meet Fluttershy again soon.

Upon returning, I saw my two friends still sitting there right next to the pond in front of this beautiful sunset view.

I gathered my breath and spoke, "Hey guys."

The two turned their heads.

Speedy was the first to speak, "Wow you came back in minutes? When you're in a bad mood your average was at least 3 days back home before you could even talk to us!"

Silver glared a dagger at him, "Please don't make the situation worse, Lem."

"No, it's okay Hassan," I said, waving off the statement. "Look, I'm sorry if I lectured you guys earlier. Having a nice day and all…"

"No need to be sorry man. You're right. We should be taking this more seriously. And we're used to, you know, the lecturing?" Speedy admitted.

"We were enjoying our stay here so much that we completely forgot that we're trapped in a TV show for girls," Silver responded.

"Pssh, finally he admitted it," Speedy muttered, but loud enough for the silver stallion to hear. He glared at him once again.

"Hey, knock it off you two," I scolded.

"But Hassan and I had an agreement. If you want us to be serious about this count us in! We need to find answers! Just say the word and we'll be all over it starting right now!" Speedy proclaimed, Silver agreeing as he nodded. The two waited for my response.

"Honestly now that my mind's clear, I don't think we should rush things," I stated, surprising the two.

"Wait, wait, wait. So you're basically saying that you're having fun, right?" The yellow Pegasus demanded.

"But what about the dramatical rant you had earlier? This is one of the few times that Lemuel and I actually agreed on something!" Silver confessed.

"Well good for you guys. And besides, we're still in the Summer Sun Celebration right? After that, well, I don't mind staying here in Ponyville. Or we decide whether we leave and move on," I considered, earning an excited response from the yellow Pegasus.

"Are you kidding? Why would I want to leave in the nicest looking place ever?!" was Speedy Glee's response.

"Okay, before we all go 'woo hoo!', I just need to confirm something," Silver Spur interrupted. The two was all ears.

"Are you still mad at us, Rob?"

Speedy stifled his laughter, "Isn't it a little too late to be asking that?"

"Well, yeah but-"

"Does it look like I'm mad at you right now?" I questioned.

"…No"

"You know me! Sure, I tend to ignore and be bitter to you guys when I'm having a bad day or you have done something stupid, but you two are still my best friends and nothing and no one can try and break that. Yes, even a portal that sucked us up into another universe. We stick together no matter what, right?"

Silver Spur smiled thankfully.

"Aw, that was so sweet!" Speedy playfully wiped an imaginary tear in his eyes, "Come here you guys!"

He wrapped his arms around the two of us. We retaliated by hugging back.

"Oh don't get fluffy on me Lem! Your breath stinks!" Silver teased, still enveloped in the hug.

"And I love you too, gorilla!"

I laughed at their playful demeanor, "We should head back to the market place and help Applejack close out the stall."

As we began to trot, some pony walked to our direction wearing a coat and a hat that detectives wear and sunglasses. When she got closer, yes a SHE because I quickly recognized her as the pink pony we met at the bakery. Right now, she was wearing a disguise for some reason. She handed out a folded piece of paper.

"Some pony wants you to read this and to you three only," she said in a raspy deep voice, looking suspiciously around them for someone could be spying on her.

"Uh…can we know who delivered this message to us?" I demanded.

"Top secret," she responded lastly before trotting away.

I opened the folds of the piece of paper, and I read aloud the content for the two. "'Please go to the Golden Oak Library. 5 pm sharp'?"

"Golden Oak Library? You mean the building that looks like a tree in the middle of town?" Speedy wondered.

"The true question is, why did someone wanted us to go there?" Silver asked.

I shrugged, "You guys want to find out?"

* * *

 _Author's Note!_

 _Shout out to every pony that are still reading this fic! All ZERO of you! XD_

 _Haha! Just kidding._

 _Lastly, yes Fluttershy is my waifu. YOU GOT A PROBLEM?!_

 _Anywho! As always! Fav it! Follow it! Review and tell me what you think!_

 _See you guys in the next chapter! **LUMINOUS FADING AWAY...**_

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING BUT MY THREE OC'S!**


	5. The Night Mare Nightmare

**_The Misadventures of Ponified Friends_**

 ** _Chapter 4: The Night Mare Nightmare_**

* * *

Minutes after we had set foot on the streets, I couldn't help but notice that the town looked deserted. It was no longer the busy place we interacted with earlier.

Okay, not _exactly_ deserted. I mean, there were still ponies trotting and minding their own business this afternoon. But they were a bunch of elderly looking ponies and kids.

"Where the hell is everybody?" Speedy wondered as we continued to walk through town, searching for this Golden Oak Library.

"They are probably preparing for tomorrow don't you think?" Silver presumed. "I mean, they will celebrate early in the morning."

"Hey, I thought we're gonna party an all nighter like Applejack said?" Speedy reminded us.

You know, that may be the reason why the town looked empty. Maybe the younger ponies were celebrating this thing some place around the neighborhood. That got me thinking. Was this Golden Oak Library the sight? No, that's impossible. It's a LIBRARY for Pete's sake.

And speaking of Library, we finally saw the huge, hollowed out tree that was in the middle of the street. This was the place.

"Finally! We made it!" Speedy exclaimed joyfully as we trotted.

And that's when I saw two other ponies also walking towards it. The one trailing looked very familiar to me…Buttery colored coat…Pink hair…

"Fluttershy?" I wondered aloud as I focused on her. She was following someone, and it looked like she was talking to some reptile-ish creature riding at the other pony's back.

"Flutterwhat?" I heard the two of them ask. They turned their heads, and also observed the other ponies in front of us.

"You know them Rob?" Silver asked as he looked back at me but I didn't answer.

Fluttershy and the reptile kept on chatting, while this purple coated mare had an annoyed expression.

It was Twilight Sparkle. The main protagonist of My Little Pony.

"Oh, shit! It's freaking Twilight Sparkle!" Speedy exclaimed. "And that yellow pony is my sister's favorite!"

"Wow, we've met all the main characters…" I mumbled.

Once they reached the front of the library, the purple pony turned her back and said something to Fluttershy. We were near enough to hear the conversation they were having.

"I am so sorry, but how did we get here so fast?" said the purple pony. "This is where I'm staying while I'm in Ponyville, and my poor baby dragon needs his sleep."

"No I don't-" the dragon, with purple scales and green spikes that went all the way down its tail, tried to talk back but the purple pony lifted her backside to drop the dragon.

"Aw~ look at that! He's so sleepy he can't even keep his little balance!" I'm kind of hearing a coo in this pony's voice, but was she trying to convince Fluttershy that the baby dragon was sleepy?

The dragon glared at her and she smiled at Fluttershy in an awkward manner. That answered my question.

"Oh no, you poor thing!" Fluttershy was convinced, scooping up the dragon as she flew. "You simply must get into bed!" she said worriedly.

Fluttershy opened the door of the library and flew inside as the purple pony rushed in. Seconds later she pushed Fluttershy out of the library.

"Yes, yes we'll get to that. Well, good night!" the purple pony said quickly before shutting the door at Fluttershy's face.

Well that was rude.

"What's the reason we're here again?" Speedy asked, loud enough for the mare to hear us.

"We went here to find out ourselves, remember?" Silver answered.

I winced at how loud their voices are. Fluttershy finally noticed us when she looked at our direction.

"Star Blast?" Fluttershy said in a surprised tone.

And of course, I chuckled awkwardly saying, "Hey Fluttershy…"

"Oh it's nice to see you again!" She said with a smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Some pink pony wearing a disguise said that we need to go here at exactly 5 p.m. She never said why though," I responded.

"Pink pony?" Fluttershy questioned.

"Yeah. She was pink and her mane was curly and thick. She also had this balloon mark on her flank." I informed her, remembering what she looked like when we met her at Sugarcube Corner.

She gasped, "You're describing Pinkie Pie!"

I reacted, "You know her?"

"Then you must go inside the library!" she urged, her face brightening up.

"Why?"

"Just trust me," she giggled.

Oh, that was so darn cute.

Wait! Focus! Pinkie Pie brought a letter to us and wore a very cliché disguise. When we bumped into her earlier at Sugarcube Corner, she was carrying out party kits in a box. Then, she freaked out when she found out that there were 'three more ponies' and then she ran away with the party supplies.

A secret message only for us to read...party supplies...'three more ponies'?

I then knew what was going on.

I felt someone poking at my side. "Hey dude! Aren't you introducing us?" Speedy asked in a whisper. I could sense the teasing in his voice

I sighed in exasperation, "Could you guys just wait after we go inside?"

"Why would we go inside anyway? Didn't you guys hear that this was the purple pony's place?" Speedy brought up.

"Lem. This is a _library_. It's a public destination that _everyone_ can visit. And If Fluttershy said that it's okay to go in, we go _in_ ," I said bluntly.

"Hah! That's what _she_ said!"

I glared at him so hard for making fun of her.

"Oh~! You just got stared again!" Silver laughed at Speedy, who then glared at him.

"Oh shut up!" Speedy said at Silver annoyingly.

"I'm sorry about those two. We kind of make fun at each other occasionally," I apologized to Fluttershy as I faced her.

"It's okay. So you finally talked to them? It looks like everything worked out."

"Well, like I said earlier, we're practically brothers."

She giggled. She then pointed to the door. "So shall we?"

I nodded as a response. I noticed that Fluttershy wasn't acting all, well, shy around me anymore. I turned back to call Speedy and Silver, and I saw them drawing back their hoofs as if they were going to punch each other. Once they saw me though, they dropped their stances and smiled ineptly.

I furrowed my eyebrows, "Guys. I don't want you to make a scene here. Are we clear?"

They nodded.

"Good. Now let's follow Fluttershy inside."

* * *

It's amazing how ponies in this world managed to open their doors so easily with their hooves. I could understand the Unicorns since they can use magic, but what about the Pegasi and the normal ones? That's cartoon logic right there. I kept visualizing them biting their door knobs.

We're finally inside the library. And it was dark. If this WAS what I think it is, somebody would say 'Surprise!' any moment now…

"Dudes. I can't see a damn thing," I could hear Speedy near my right.

"Even the light outside couldn't get through the windows," Silver commented in my left.

"Just stick together guys. We don't know what's going on," I told the two of them. And where is Fluttershy? I couldn't hear her voice anywhere. I don't know her whereabouts in the room.

"Who are you?!" I heard a female voice demanded somewhere around the dark room. "What are you doing here?!" She was definitely not Fluttershy.

"Oh shoot! I told you guys that this is her place!" Speedy whispered harshly.

"But Fluttershy said we could walk in!" I whispered back.

"Worry that later! Just answer her question!" Silver joined.

"Well? I'm waiting!" Her voice suddenly got threatening.

"We are your-uh-conscience!" Speedy rambled a random response.

"Yes! We don't talk a lot these days!" Silver added.

These two were not helping. Did they really have to quote Ant-Man's funny line in Civil War?

"Conscience?" The mare repeated, clearly confused.

"Excuse me, but don't listen to them ma'am. They tend to lie when under pressure," I told her.

"HEY!" The two said in unison.

"Then answer my question truthfully. Who are you?" She asked me.

"We're just three ponies who were told to visit this place by a pink pony. Honest!" I answered. How many times did I have to say that?

"Why would that pony tell you to go here?"

"We don't know the reason ourselves. But I have an idea why."

As if on cue, the lights flicked on, and we were surrounded by a lot of ponies. "SURPRISE!" they cheered.

We all jumped up at the surprise. Now that we could see the room, streamers were hung everywhere and confetti continued to pour down. Drinks, snacks that are mostly cupcakes were in the tables that were scattered.

Called it!

"Woah! What's this?!" Speedy wondered as he looked around the room.

"A surprise party? But who would bother the time to do this?" Silver questioned.

"I DID!" We heard a cheerful voice among the crowd. A pink head shot up and went towards us. "SURPRISE! Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie!" She introduced herself with a cheerful smile, "And I made this party just for you! Well at least originally for Twilight and the baby dragon but then I suddenly ran into you three back in Sugarcube corner so I have to make adjustments and make this party three times more fun!"

We couldn't quite follow on her fast paced statement, but I managed. Her voice was too energetic, and quirky.

"What was that?" Silver asked.

"She said that the surprise was meant for Twilight Sparkle and she needed to make adjustments because she saw the three of us," Speedy responded.

"You understood her?"

"Of course I did! Maybe your brain couldn't process the info!"

The pink pony, Pinkie Pie, started to jump around us with a happy expression. "So did you like it?! Huh?! Huh?! Huh?!"

I smiled kindly at her, "Yeah we did. Didn't expect this at all."

"Very surprised!" I could hear the bothered tone on the purple mare's voice. "Libraries are supposed to be quiet…"

Pinkie laughed, "That's silly! What kind of welcome party would this be if it were quiet? I mean, DUH? Boooring!"

She walked away with a grumpy looking face while Pinkie Pie continued to bombard her with words as she followed. I feel empathy for her. I used to be easily annoyed when someone tried to get in a conversation with me way back. I'm still an introvert mind you, but I'm just kind of friendly in my own way. And if I want to survive my teen years, I need to get along with everyone.

"Hey fellas!" We heard Applejack's voice calling us from behind. We saw her with three more familiar ponies: Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Fluttershy. So they were friends? I just chuckled inwardly about the coincidence that we met each and every one of them during our time here.

"Hey Applejack!" Speedy greeted as we trotted to them. "You didn't tell us that they'd make a party."

"It's kind of Pinkie Pie's thing," Rainbow Dash answered. "She makes parties like all the time!"

"But welcoming parties are special in its own way." said Applejack.

"Wait, so she's doing this _everytime_ someone visits Ponyville?" Silver asked.

"Exactly! I wouldn't miss it for it is simply delightful!" Rarity stated in good spirits. "Well, at least not the wilder kind of merriment."

I then looked at Fluttershy fluttering next to Rainbow Dash, "So that's why you disappeared when we got in? You all knew that Pinkie Pie would make a surprise party for us?"

She nodded her head sheepishly. "So…Did you like it?"

"Of course we did," Would I say no to an adorable face like that? Wait, what? "And I almost forgot. Fluttershy, I'd like you to meet Speedy Glee and Silver Spur, my best friends."

The two then waved their hooves hello to the butter colored Pegasus.

"Uhm…Hi…" She said bashfully.

"Dude! She reminds me of you back in 1st grade!" Speedy whispered to me.

Anyway…

"And to answer your question Fluttershy, If Pinkie Pie bothered to make a party for us, of course we'll enjoy it!" Speedy said joyfully.

"I don't know about Twilight Sparkle though," Silver looked back at Twilight, who was pouring a very suspicious brown liquid in her cup. Oh, and Pinkie Pie was still talking to her.

"Say, why don't we all go and talk to Twilight?" Applejack suggested. "Especially the three of you." She gestured to us.

" _We are your conscience?_ Seriously?" Rainbow Dash said before she began laughing her head off.

Yeah. So much for a first impression. I'm planning to talk and apologize to Twilight later on.

The three of us followed the four mares as we trotted towards Twilight and Pinkie Pie.

"So that's why I made a super-duper-spectacular welcome party and invite everyone in Ponyville!" Pinkie gestured the entire building. "See? Now you have lots and lots of friends!"

Our group smiled and they naturally greeted and welcomed her warmly. Still, Twilight was still ignoring every pony as she took a sip in her drink, facing away from us. Has she even talked to a single pony yet in this room other than us and Pinkie?

Then I saw her head flinch when she finished taking a drink. She finally faced us, but her mouth was puffed. Her face was really red and she was perspiring a lot. I could even see her eyes tearing up. We all looked worriedly at her.

"Uh, are you all right sugarcube?" Applejack asked.

I started to hear a whistling sound, and it was emitting from Twilight. Smoke started to come out of her ears. She jumped up, and her mane and tail literally became fire for a moment before walking away from us as she climbed up to the second floor of the building.

"Aw! She's so happy she's crying!" Pinkie Pie said, completely oblivious to Twilight's temporary agony.

I watched the purple baby dragon making his way to the table full of drinks. He picked up the bottle of liquid that Twilight just drank. "Hot Sauce?"

Oh…So that's why Twilight had that kind of reaction. Man, which was so cliché. Almost every cartoon that I watched in my whole life did that.

Pinkie Pie grabbed the bottle of hot sauce from the dragon and poured a large amount on her cupcake. She then popped it in her mouth, with a satisfied expression. We all looked at her weirded out.

"What? It's good!" She said.

"I'm guessing you really like cupcakes?" Speedy asked warily.

"YUP!" She repeated the same treatment to another cupcake. "Want to try one?"

Speedy shifted his eyes away, "Oh. Uh-I-I don't know. I mean, cupcakes and hot sauce would be the weirdest combination that I have ever tas-"

He was interrupted by Pinkie Pie shoving the cupcake in his mouth. All we could do was watch as the food hybrid invade his mouth. Speedy's eyes were wide as saucers.

I just hoped that he wouldn't die by way of food poisoning.

"How is it man?" Silver asked whilst chuckling at his demise.

Speedy began to munch in the food hesitantly, grimacing in every bite. Soon, he chewed normally, making a surprised hum. "It's like sweet chili."

"You don't feel sick or anything?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No. I-I don't know. I'm used to eating spicy food so I'm okay. The hot sauce kind of taste like 'Pain is Good Louisiana Style'. And the cupcakes were still the BOMB though."

"See? I told you it's good!" She grabbed Speedy's hoof. "Let's eat more cup cakes over there!"

"Wait! Not with hot sauce, right?"

Pinkie snorted. "If you want hot sauce in your cupcakes then be my guest!"

"Well, if those cupcakes were from Sugarcube corner then I'll gladly join you!" Speedy declared enthusiastically before facing me and Silver. "Catch you guys later when I have a sugar rush!"

We waved him goodbye as he joined Pinkie in her food trip. He always was the friendly type.

"Hey Speedy! Wait up! I wanted to tell you about Cloudsdale and the Wonderbolts!" Rainbow Dash followed them, trailing behind flying.

I heard Silver sigh. "Looks like it's party hard, right?"

I nodded. "You go do your thing."

"Oh we simply must!" said Rarity, "But I would rather have a nice conversation. Silver, would you care to have a nice chat with me? I have so much to ask!"

"Really?" Oh boy. It's his lucky day.

"Me too!" Applejack joined. "You're one of the largest, healthiest stallions I know other than my brother Big Mcintosh! How'd you get that big?"

"Oh I just exercise and…eating a proper diet," Silver answered sheepishly, and blushing. You're thinking about this the wrong way again!

"Yes that's nice, but shall we continue this to a proper location?" Rarity suggested.

And so they all agreed.

"Would you like to join us, Blast?" Applejack offered.

"It's okay. Go on ahead and enjoy. I'm not much of a talker anyway," I told.

Applejack seemed to consider. "Well, suit yourself."

Silver gave me a 'good luck' look before walking away with the two mares.

Speedy Glee's with Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. Silver's occupied with Applejack and Rarity. Then that leaves me with…Fluttershy.

"So I guess it's just you and me?" She said.

Oh fate. Why are you doing this to me? I'm having an attraction with this cartoon pony and you're leaving me with her? I don't know if I should be happy or awed.

"Heh heh… yeah."

"Ooh! Ooh! Do you want to join me listen to Spike's story?" She offered to me. Her voice changed into an ecstatic tone.

"Oh I'd love to Fluttershy, but maybe later okay?" said Spike, the purple and green baby dragon that reminded me of Spyro.

Yeah I used to play that game a lot back when I had my PS1.

"I'm worried about Twilight," He continued.

"Why? What's wrong?" I asked.

"That egg-head always avoid making friends! My whole life with her, she keeps company with nothing but books!" Spike explained.

So she's the anti-social type? I didn't know a single thing about her so I just presumed.

"Maybe she's just tired? I mean she _is_ the supervisor of the Summer Sun Celebration. There are probably a lot of things and concerns running through her head right now, and the last thing she needed was a gathering." I said.

"Or she just didn't want to socialize. It's about time that she does! Even the Princess herself told her to do that while she does her supervising," Spike pointed out.

I gave him a questioning look, "Wait, you and Twilight were brought here because the Princess ordered you?"

He nodded his head. "Well it all started because of Twilight any way. She went on and on about this old pony tale called the 'Mare in the Moon' and how it will bring eternal night to all of Equestria. She messaged her concerns to Princess Celestia, and then the princess replied that she lay off the books. And so, here we are."

"Okay. Has she made any friends yet?" Fluttershy urged him to continue.

"Well, we already talked to you and the other ponies. At least Twilight tried to act friendly. Did you consider her as a friend?"

"Of course I did!"

Now that Spike gave a much clearer info, I kind of understood Twilight's situation. Trust me, my parents or basically everyone including my two best friends, "advised" (more like commanded) me to do this all the time since I'm not really a sociable person. Looks like she and I had a lot in common as I get to know her a little bit.

"Well, based on my own experience it's not that easy to make friends with everyone. Especially if you just came in a place or environment that's not familiar to you. It takes time to adjust, kid. She probably has more important things to do than making friends with every pony," I gave Spike my straight comment.

Spike thought about this for a moment before replying, "I guess you're right. I bet if Twilight heard that she'll keep rubbing it in my face. Anyway, my name's Spike! Nice to meet you!"

"My name's Star Blast," I held out my hoof so that the dragon could shake it.

"I don't want to waste any more time here so if you'll excuse me, I want to party!" Spike said as he walked away.

I noticed Fluttershy literally itching to follow him. She did mention that she wanted to hear Spike's story and offered me to join when she did.

"If you want to follow him, its okay," I told her. "Don't worry. I'll catch up on you."

She gave a wide, excited smile before dashing before me with a speed I didn't knew she had. I peered over the stairs up to the second floor where Twilight went into.

"I'll talk to her later on," I told myself before following Fluttershy.

* * *

Time flew by so fast that I didn't even realize that it was almost 4 in the morning already. Did I enjoy this party so much that I completely lost track of time?

Yes. Yes I did.

Well… all I really did was read. I'm in a library so why not?

Man, this 'Daring Do' is like the combination of Indiana Jones and Lara Croft. Well, more like Lara Croft in an Indiana Jones setting. It was so enjoyable that I'm half-way through the first book. Good thing every pony's kind enough to let me read in peace. Minus the electronic music playing in the background by the white and blue DJ pony that looked like Skrillex.

"Hey! Star Blast!"

I lifted my head up to see Spike who was calling me, wearing a lamp cover full of streamers. I couldn't help but chuckle at this literal party animal's appearance.

"Yeah Spike?"

"I'm sorry to bother you if you're busy, but could I ask you for a favor?"

Memorizing the page I was in, I settled the book down to a table, "Sure. What do you want?"

"Well, Pinkie Pie's starting 'Pin the Tail on the Pony', and I'm the first one to play!"

"Okay. Go on…"

"I was thinking maybe inviting Twilight over to play, but I don't have the time."

"Wait. You want me to go up there and invite her?"

Spike nodded his head vigorously. "Yeah! Thanks a bunch!"

"Hey! Wait!" Before I had the chance to decline, Spike already ran away.

I sighed, and got out of my 'oh so comfortable' position hesitantly.

I climbed up the stairs and was met by the only door in the second floor. I knocked, my face full of embarrassment really. Twilight might be sleeping, and it's very rude if someone she didn't know wake her up.

"Come in."

I heard her reply and with that, I opened the door and peeked inside seeing Twilight in her bed, a pillow on top of her head.

Obviously, she made a surprised look, "Oh. May I help you?"

"I'm sorry for interrupting, but Spike told me to invite you to play a game," I informed her.

She made an exasperated groan, "Tell him I said no! And also, all the ponies in this town are crazy! Do you know what time it is?!"

I winced and shrunk back at her sudden outrage. Was she awake all this time since she left us downstairs hours ago? And it's the eve of the Summer Sun Celebration, right? Spike told me that they need to stay up until the Princess raises the sun.

"And the nerve! How dare he send some pony I never met!?"

Was it time to introduce myself then?

"You don't need to be angry with him. He's just a baby dragon. To lessen the awkwardness, I'm Star Blast. And technically, we just met earlier in the worst way possible, Twilight."

"Really?" She had already forgotten?

"You know… _We are your conscience?_ " I reminded her.

She made a face of realization, "Oh right. I remember! You colts scared me!"

I chuckled in a sheepish way, "I know. Look, I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

She sighed. "It's okay, Star Blast. After an exhausting day, I thought I could have more time all by myself, but silly me! All this ridiculous friend making has kept me from it!"

Wow. She was even worse than me. I didn't mind being alone all the time to do something important, but I also needed to talk to someone.

But I got curious about this "something" that made her act this way. "And what is this something if you don't mind me asking?"

She got out of her bed, levitating a huge book with her magic then she looked out the window, peering in the sight of the brightly lit moon, "Legend has it that in the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aim her escape and she would bring about everlasting night."

"Are you talking about The Mare in the Moon?" I asked her based from what she read on that huge book and what Spike told me.

"You know the legend?" Twilight asked.

"Actually, I only knew about that recently when your friend Spike told me. But it's just a legend, so why worry?"

"I hope that you and the princess were right. I hope that it really is just an old pony tale…" She kept going with a worried voice.

Before I could say anything else, the door suddenly swung open and made a loud noise that startled the two of us.

"Come on you guys! It's time to watch the sunrise!" Spike, still wearing the lamp cover, announced before going back down.

I glanced back at Twilight. "Do you want me to wait for you?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm fine. But it was nice of you, Star Blast."

"Okay then. Just making sure if you're fine all by yourself," I said before coming down myself, leaving the door open for Twilight to exit.

* * *

And so every pony gathered at the Town Hall, which looked very decorative and delicate. Rarity did a good job with the place. I regrouped back with Silver and Speedy.

"You guys had fun?" I asked.

"I ate too much of those delicious cupcakes, dude. I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing," Speedy responded, his eyes twitching and his body was shaking thanks to the Sugar Rush.

"Satisfaction? Good thing! Bad thing? Diabetes." Silver said.

Feet away from us, I saw Twilight with Spike riding her back being ambushed by Pinkie yet again. "Isn't this exciting?! Are you excited!? Cause I'm excited and I've never been so excited well except the time when I saw you in town and went-" she gasped dramatically for a moment, "but really, who can top that?!"

Sheesh. Having a conversation with Pinkie Pie would be the death of me. I instructed Speedy and Silver to move in another area away from the pink pony, which they quickly agreed to do. I didn't remember a moment I talked to Pinkie one on one. Oh if she found out, I didn't know what she has in store for me.

Soon, the sound of the birds chirping in harmony and melody resonated throughout town hall, composed by Fluttershy of course. A spotlight covered a light brown coated and white maned pony on the stage. She's probably the Mayor from the looks of it.

"Fillies and Gentlecolts! As Mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!"

Every pony cheered.

"In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise and celebrate this, the longest day of the year!"

My eyes squinted by a shine from above. I could have sworn that the moon glowed for a second. I hoped that I wasn't the only one who noticed that.

The Mayor continued the introductions, "And now, it is my great honor to introduce to you the ruler of our land! The very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day! The good! The wise! The bringer of Harmony to all of Equestria!"

From this moment, the ponies could not contain their excitements any longer. The Unicorns and the regular ponies stomped their hooves in anticipation as the Pegasi flew in circles with smiles etched in their faces. This would be the first time that the three of us would actually see TRUE royalty even though she was a pony and a cartoon.

"Princess Celestia!" The Mayor announced joyfully, pointing at the stage up top. Fluttershy commanded the birds to sing in a louder volume. Rarity bit into a rope and pulled it down, opening the curtain of the stage.

Not a princess in sight.

The ponies began to murmur, wondering where the Princess could be.

"Huh? Where's the Princess? Is she invisible or something?" Speedy asked innocently.

This didn't look good.

"Uh, remain calm every pony. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation," The Mayor said. I noticed Rarity searching on full panic in the higher balcony.

"Maybe she's just late?!" Speedy bellowed.

"I highly doubt that sir."

"Ooh! Ooh! I love guessing games! Is she hiding?" Pinkie proclaimed, glancing her head around.

"You mad mare! This is not a game!" Silver said, completely bothered at Pinkie's ignorance.

"She's gone!" We heard Rarity broadcast the news, which caused every pony to gasp.

"Ooh, she's good!" Pinkie admired.

"Ugh, this pony's way of thinking irks me man," Silver commented.

"Ignore! She's obviously the comic relief!" Speedy responded to him.

I just face hoofed myself at her statement.

Then Pinkie suddenly created a shocked gasp. She was looking at the balcony that the Princess was supposed to occupy. Violet, glittery mist sprouted and surrounded that area. I felt every hair on my body stood up, and the only emotion I could feel right now was fear. Every pony was in the exact same situation as I am. What's going on?

After intense seconds, the violet mist dispersed and something appeared. Pitch black was the taller pony's body, wearing a light blue helmet and armor, her tail and mane with the same appearance as the mist. Her eyes a turquoise color, and her eyelids were narrowed. Her mark a crescent moon shrouded in purple clouds that covered almost the entire area of her flank. The aura she was giving is…menacing and intimidating.

I had to curse inwardly at my realization. Right before our eyes, was the legendary Mare in the Moon.

"Oh my beloved subjects, It's been so long since I've seen your precious little sun-loving faces," She spoke in a voice I've heard in every evil queen in every Disney princess movie ever. Regal, yet terrifying.

"What did you do with our Princess?!" I heard Rainbow Dash's voice demanded somewhere.

The mysterious mare laughed evilly, "Why? Am I not royal enough for you?"

Well your appearance doesn't look like the royal type to me.

"Ooh! Ooh! More guessing games! Uhm...Hokey Smokes! How about...Queen Meanie! Black Snooty! Black Snooty!" Pinkie Pie went on to guess the mare's name until her voice become muffled. Good thing someone stopped her, she's putting herself in danger.

"Don't you know who I am?" she continued to question. "Does my crown no longer count now that I have been imprisoned for a thousand years?" She stared menacingly at Fluttershy, who closed her eyes and cowered back. "Did you not recall the legends? Did you not see the signs?" She then moved on to Rarity, her mane mist held the white Unicorn's chin up for additional intimidation.

The others didn't have a single clue about what she's talking about, but I do know that only Twilight was more familiar with her.

"I did!" Twilight shouted, walking in front of the crowd, "And I know who you are! You're the Mare in the Moon! Nightmare Moon!"

Every pony gasped at Twilight's reveal.

"Well, well, well. Somepony remembers me. Then you also know why I'm here?"

Every pony looked at Twilight, struggling to give out the answer, "You're here to…to…"

Without thinking, I suddenly blurted out, "To bring eternal night in Equestria."

I said that in a normal tone, but loud enough for everyone to hear. They all gasped… again. I felt all eyes on me, making me uncomfortable. But when HER eyes landed on me, my entire being quivered in fear.

"Oh? Another pony who knows me? How flattering!" She laughed sinisterly, "The two of you are well informed, aren't you?"

Twilight and I shared a look at each other. Well, it looked like I got a legendary monster's attention.

"Remember this day little ponies, for it is your last. From this moment forth, my night will last forever!" Nightmare Moon declared. Thunder and lightning filled the room, the purple mist that served as her mane increased in size creating a massive glittery tornado.

While her bloodcurdling laughter of evil echoed throughout Town Hall, there's only one thing that keeps repeating in my mind.

What have we gotten ourselves into?

* * *

 _Author's Note!_

 _~Your kindness won't betray me! I feel you heart and soul! Your kindness still can save me! I choose to not let go!~_

 _Oh! Didn't see you there! Just listening to fan made songs while updating this and also studying for my Midterms. Thank you to AcoustiMandoBrony, The Living Tombstone, Foozogz and Alex S for creating such beautiful masterpieces! And yes, I'm singing "Kindness"by AcoustiMandoBrony._

 _This is the longest chapter that I've ever written for a story, and I admit that it's a little rushed._

 _As always! Fav it! Follow it! Review and tell me what you think!_

 _See you in the next chapter! (If I'm still alive after the exams) **LUMINOUS FADING AWAY…**_

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING BUT MY THREE OC'S!**


	6. The Quest in Everfree

**_The Misadventures of Ponified Friends_**

 ** _Chapter 5: The Quest in Everfree_**

* * *

Nightmare Moon cackled in delight as she took in the fear in every pony's faces. They couldn't even move, so I decided to wake them up.

"Every pony! Get out of here NOW!" I shouted.

They started to run about, panicking as they headed outside the Town Hall. A few feet away from us, I saw Spike's unconscious form lying on the floor. He could get stepped over and hurt himself seriously!

"Hassan! Get Spike away from here!" I ordered him.

"Who?!" He asked. I forgot that he hadn't met the dragon yet.

"The purple dragon lying down over there! Hurry before he gets hurt!" I pointed. He nodded and went straight to the baby dragon's location.

"Seize her! Only she knows where the Princess is!" We heard the Mayor ordering the Royal Guards, who magically appeared from out of nowhere. I didn't even notice them when we went in here! The golden clad soldiers charged forward Nightmare Moon.

"Hey guys wait!" Speedy shouted. "You're soldiers! Every soldier who tried to attack villains always end up-"

"Stand back you fools!" Nightmare Moon summoned lightning that struck the soldiers, defeating them with ease.

"Knocked the hell out!" Speedy finished, pointing the cliché.

Her misty mane enveloped her, until she became a mist herself before ramming the door of Town Hall. Every pony that were still inside ducked to avoid the wrath of the Night Mare.

"Come back here!" Rainbow Dash, who was stopped by Applejack biting her tail, tried to halt Nightmare Moon. But it was already too late when she flew after her.

"I got the baby dragon man!" Silver came back with Spike on his back. "Where do you want me to bring him?"

"Spike!" Twilight ran over to us, "Oh no, is he okay?"

I nodded, "He's fine. Silver got him safely before anything bad happened to him."

"Oh thank goodness," She let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much."

Silver nodded, "Glad to help."

Twilight smiled at him, then her face changed into a dimmer mood, "But night time…forever?"

"What are we going to do? If she's a legendary pony, there's a chance that she possesses god-like powers and abilities," I concocted. "How are we going to stop her?"

Twilight thought about this for a moment, before she made a face of realization. "I know how. And the answer is somewhere in the library."

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!" I urged. Twilight agreed in determination before running out ahead of us.

"Wait- Wha-what's going on dude? Are we missing out on something here?" Speedy asked, completely lost.

"While you were busy partying, Twilight and I got into a discussion, sort of," I answered.

"And let me guess: It had something to do with that monster?" Silver deducted, joining in with Spike deep in slumber on his back.

"Precisely, and we're going back to the library to help Twilight solve this problem," I stated, my voice filled with resolve.

"What?! Are you kidding?! Didn't you see what she did to those soldiers?!" Silver gestured at the stallions lying on the ground, "She killed them in the blink of an eye!"

Overreacting much? Although they should be dead when they got hit by lightning. But this is a kid's show so obviously they just got injured.

"And as fun as it is beating a villain's ass, I know for a fact that we're completely useless even though we became cartoon ponies," Speedy added. "We don't even know how to use magic and fly yet! You know what? Screw that! We're not even heroes! How are we supposed to stop her?"

I sighed, "I know that this is way out of our league to handle, but I hate seeing everyone here in danger."

"But this is just a cartoon world bro! We don't have any concerns whatsoever happens to this place!" Speedy argued.

"Face the reality, Lemuel. Whether you like it or not, the three of us are NOW part of this cartoon world. And whatever happens to this place, can gravely affect us as well," I raised my voice, hoping that it would get through his head. "And think this through: What if that Nightmare Moon had something to do with our transportation here?"

"Ah shit. Wait, how can you be so sure about your presumption? "Silver asked.

"The only way to find out right now is to chase her down and confront her. This could be our chance to get the answers that we were looking for. Now are we just going to let this slide away in front of us?"

That got their attention. The two looked at each other, and they closed their eyes for a moment. When they gazed back at me, I noticed that the look in their eyes changed.

I smirked, "So are we ready?"

Silver nodded, "If her defeat results to us coming back home in our world, I'll die trying."

Speedy grinned, "Now let's kick some monster ass!"

"WE'VE GOT TO STOP NIGHTMARE!" Spike suddenly yelled in his sleep, and slumps back down at the startled Silver.

"Before we kick some monster butt, let's head out first to the library. The baby dragon needs his sleep," I suggested.

* * *

The moment we opened the door of the library, books were scattered everywhere around the room. We witnessed Twilight searching. "Elements? Elements? Elements!?"

"Wow, messy much?" Speedy snorted, catching the attention of Twilight.

"I can't find it!" She yelled in frustration.

"Silver, bring Spike up in the second floor. There's a bed there," I ordered him before bringing my attention to Twilight. "What are we looking for?"

"There has to be a book about the Elements of Harmony somewhere! It's the only way to defeat Nightmare Moon!"

Before I could respond I felt someone dash right before us. It was Rainbow Dash. "And just what are the Elements of Harmony? And how did the two of you know all about Nightmare Moon huh?" she demanded, face to face with Twilight. She turned her attention to me, and before I know it, she was in front of me in a blink of an eye.

"Are you a SPY? I just knew that the three of you have secrets! Who lives in a town called Oklahoma?!" She said, glaring at me. Rainbow Dash suddenly yelped when Applejack pulled her tail. I noticed that Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Fluttershy also stopped by inside the library.

"Simmer down sally. They ain't no spy," Applejack said, then she looked at me with doubtful eyes. "Are you?"

I shook my head. "No we're not. We're just as baffled at these events as you are."

"I still don't believe that the three of you came from a town so isolated that barely everyone knew it existed, though." Rainbow Dash said crossing her front hooves.

I sighed, "Whatever floats your boat."

"But the two of you sure knows what's going on." Speedy said.

"Other than the whole eternal night in the kingdom part and Nightmare Moon, that's pretty much all I know," I then bobbed my head, pointing at the purple Unicorn. "But I bet that Twilight has more knowledge to it."

We all looked at her, expecting an explanation. Twilight sighed as she closed her eyes.

Before she had the chance to talk, a stomping of hooves interfered.

"The baby dragon is tucked in and sleeping all the way to dreamland!" Silver announced his accomplishment as he climbed down the stairs. He stopped in his tracks when he noticed us all grouped up. We all looked at him.

"…Is there something going on?"

"Just come down here, dude. Twilight's going to say something important," Speedy gestured him to come down and take his place next to us.

"Well? Go on…" I told Twilight to continue.

She nodded and began, "I read all about the predictions of Nightmare Moon. Some mysterious objects called The Elements of Harmony are the only things that can stop her. But I don't know what they are, where to find them, I don't even know what they do!"

I looked around the book shelves. I noticed that the E section hasn't been searched yet by Twilight. I walked towards it, and I saw a book with a case that looked definitely more important and detailed than the rest. That's how you know that it was indeed the right item.

"The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide?" I looked back at them. "Is this what you're looking for Twilight?"

"Yes! But how did you find the book? I searched everywhere!"

"It was under the E section."

"…Oh."

"Don't worry. It happens to any of us when we are in a rush."

With her magic, she levitated the book off of the case and began to flip through pages. She stopped midway, "There are six Elements of Harmony, but only five are known: Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty and Loyalty. The sixth element is a complete mystery."

"Did the book say anything about their locations?" I asked.

She looked back at the page, "It is said that the last known location of the elements was in the ancient castle of the Royal Pony Sisters."

"And where's this castle located?"

"It is located in what is now…the Everfree Forest."

"THE EVERFREE FOREST?!" All the ponies exclaimed.

Everfree Forest…The forest with the freaking dragon. And we're supposed to search an ancient castle with five or six rare items to defeat a powerful evil pony? Things just got more complicated.

"Wasn't that the place we woke up in?" Silver asked. "Oh I am SO not going back there!"

"Dude! It's just TREES! The forest looked completely harmless!" Speedy stated.

"Harmless?! Does a dragon and wild animals sound harmless to you?!"

"Oh now you're freaking out because of the trees!"

"It's not the trees! AND THEY ARE CREEPY LOOKING!"

All the mares looked at me questioningly.

"It's a long story," I said with a sigh.

* * *

So we somehow calmed Silver Spur down to come with us in the search. I was surprised that it only took ten minutes to reach the opening of the forest all the way from the library by walking. We stayed in absolute silence for a while. I just stared at it as I imagined the chaos happening in there.

"Well, what are we doing here just standing around? Let's get this over with and save the world!" Speedy said confidently marching in front.

"Not so fast!" Twilight halted.

"Huh? Why?"

"Look, I appreciate the offer but I would rather do this on my own."

Was Twilight planning a suicide attempt? No offense but we're up against a powerful foe. Probably.

"No can do, sugarcube," Applejack said. "We sure ain't lettin' any friend of ours goin' into that creepy place alone!"

The look on Twilight's face showed displease when Applejack mentioned the word friend.

"We're sticking to you like caramel on a candy apple!" Applejack settled, leading the girls to the forest. They all agreed with a hum, although Silver acted hesitant.

"Especially if there are candy apples in there!" Pinkie said.

"I doubt that this is the last place you'll find those, Pinkie Pie." Speedy commented trotting next to her.

"What? Those things are good!"

Everyone besides Twilight and I already went inside the Everfree Forest. I heard her sigh.

"Hey? What's the matter?" I asked.

"I'm sorry. I'm just not used to getting help around any pony else," She answered.

"I can relate to you, to tell you the truth. But, during a time like this, you need all the help you can get. Especially if the fate of an entire kingdom depends on it." And with that, we walked through the forest and soon caught up with the others. It felt like we're now deep in the middle of the forest after minutes.

"So…Other than the three stallions, none of you have ever been here before?" Twilight asked as we continued the walk.

"He-Heavens no! Just look at it! It's dreadful!" Rarity cried her observations.

"And it ain't natural. Folks say that it don't work the same as Equestria," Applejack added.

Our world didn't work this way either.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Twilight asked, her voice hinting fright.

"Nopony knows~!" Rainbow Dash crept up from the shadows, with the intent of creeping us out. "You know why~?"

"Rainbow! Quit it!" Applejack scolded, but RD continued to creepily walk towards us.

"Cause every pony who's ever come in has never… come… OUT!"

Rarity, Pinkie and Fluttershy screeched in terror. I swore Silver did too. However, Speedy and I didn't react at all.

Speedy scoffed, "Really? Then how come we came out of this place in one piece?"

"Maybe you guys were just-"

I felt the ground shake. I didn't realize that we were at the edge of a cliff, and the end that we were standing on was collapsing.

"…Lucky?"

The edge finally collapsed, and we were falling down to our doom. We showed no signs of slowing down as we slid. Adrenaline and stress consumed me. I was never in this kind of pressure since my 6th grade talent show where I had to sing in front of everyone at school.

Yes, I just compared falling down from the edge of a cliff to a harmless talent show.

Lucky enough, we have three Pegasi with us. Two that could fly and one that still didn't know how though. Rainbow Dash swooped down and carried Pinkie Pie up while Fluttershy bit on Rarity's tail to slow her down. Applejack and I grabbed on tree roots that were erect as we slid down. Silver was strong enough to dig into the rocky ground with ease, his speed slowly decreased while Speedy used his wings to glide down in an unorthodox way to land right in Silver's back.

"Is everyone all right?!" I rose. They all answered back. I sighed in relief. That was a close call.

Wait a second… Where's Twilight?

"HEEELP!" I heard her screaming, already dangling and holding on for dear life at the edge. I've got to act quickly!

"Twilight! Hold on!" I released my grip to the tree root and slowly came my way to her. When Twilight was about to fall off, I quickly grabbed her hoof. That was close!

"Don't you dare let go!" Twilight cried in fear.

"I won't! Just don't look down, okay?" I told her, and boy was that true. The fall could be a good 100 feet.

My muscles started to ache. I was never the physical one anyway. My face scrunched in pain, struggling to keep a hold on Twilight. I needed help quick.

"A little help here?!" I shouted .

"Don't worry! Imma comin'!" Applejack responded as she lets go of the root to slide down to us.

I didn't think she could make it in time. Damn it! If only I knew how to control my magic. This would have been over sooner, and with Twilight in this situation? I bet she couldn't think straight because of fear. I felt my grip about to falter, and as if on cue Applejack grabbed a hold on Twilight's left hoof. I groaned in pain, my right hoof finally away from the stress as I aided my left hoof with it.

"Star Blast, Applejack, what should I do?!" Twilight demanded.

"Let go." Applejack said.

"WHAT?!" Both I and Twilight yelled at her. Was she crazy?

"What do you mean by _let go_?" I asked Applejack, clearly confused.

"Just trust me, Blast."

"Are you crazy?!" Twilight asked incredulously.

"No I ain't. I promise you'll be safe."

"That's not true!"

"Now listen here, what I'm saying to you is the honest truth," Applejack smiled reassuringly. "Let go, and you'll be safe."

My eyes caught sight of two mares flying. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flew down just below us, and Twilight was completely oblivious to it.

"Trust her, Twilight," I said. "She's completely honest to you."

She looked at us, eyes full of doubt and hesitation. And finally, she lets go of our hooves. I watched her screaming as she fell, and the two Pegasi caught her.

I scooted away quickly from the edge, and flopped down in exhaustion.

"I…have never felt…that scared and exhausted…in my entire life!" I said through pants.

"We sure don't know what to expect in this forest," Applejack said, helping me up.

"That's right. And we need to find the Elements of Harmony quick and fast."

"ROB!" I heard Silver and Speedy called using my real name, slowly making their way towards us.

"Don't worry! We're fine! Just get down here carefully!"

"We almost died!" Silver cried.

"I couldn't fly and help out! I feel so useless!" Speedy complained.

"Be positive. We're safe now okay? Let's find a way down."

"What about this thing here?" Applejack pointed to rock formations that descended down. This works.

Slowly and carefully, the four of us jumped down the platform-like rocks and met up with the others. Finally regrouped, we continued our unpredictable journey.

* * *

"And when Pinkie and Rarity were safe, Woosh! Me and Fluttershy looped and looped around and wham! Caught you right in the nick of time!" Rainbow continued to brag as we walked. I just listened over how dramatic she told the story to us.

"Yes Rainbow, we were there," Twilight said completely not amused. "And we're very grateful. But we've got to-"

We were interrupted yet again by a huge problem. This time though, a monster. And not just any monster, a freaking real life Manticore right in front of our eyes! I'm not even surprised anymore.

"A Manticore!" Twilight exclaimed. "We got to get past that!"

"Oh yeah! My first time ever battling a monster!" Speedy said excitedly, and then ran towards it.

"Hey! Come back here you idiot!" I yelled at him. But it was already too late when he used his wings to gain speed and charge at the Manticore.

"HOOF OF FURY!" He shouted. I just sighed.

The Manticore used its backhand to swat Speedy away in ease. That idiot!

"Falling hard~!" He shouted comically, voice trailing. He landed somewhere in the bushes.

"Silver, check if he's okay!" I asked.

"Do I always have to babysit that air head?" Silver complained.

"Well unless you want to fight that thing, then be my guest!"

"…Gotcha."

As Silver checked, the Manticore looked like it was ready to pounce at us any moment. I braced myself for what was about to happen.

It pounced and swiped a claw at Rarity. She dodged and countered with a kick at its jaw.

"Take that you ruffian!" She yelled at the monster. It then retaliated with a loud roar in front of her face. It completely messed up her mane. "My hair!"

Rarity tried to run away from it, but the Manticore gives chase. I saw Applejack jump up and landed on its head, giving Rarity the momentum to escape.

"Yeehaw! Get along little doggy!" She proceeded to ride the Manticore like a bull.

"Wait!" I heard Fluttershy call out, but her voice was too soft.

"What is it Fluttershy? I asked.

"I want them to stop fighting the Manticore. This is a huge misunderstanding!"

"Misunderstanding? What do you mean?"

I averted my eyes for a moment and witnessed Applejack flying through the air. She said something to Rainbow Dash while she was airborne. I guessed that it would be something like 'it's all yours' when Rainbow saluted to her and began circling around the Manticore in absurd speed, creating a colorful tornado.

"Wait!" Fluttershy called again.

I saw the Manticore whipped its scorpion tail at Rainbow Dash, stopping her onslaught and knocking her away.

"Rainbow!" Twilight exclaimed.

Rainbow Dash slid in front of us, groaning in pain as she tried to stand up. This Manticore's quite the fighter. It looked like we needed all our strength just to stop it. Everyone got ready to charge at the beast, including me. Just when we were about to charge, Silver got in the way.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm sorry, man. But enough is enough! I'm not just gonna stand here and watch everyone fighting that thing!" Silver turned away and glared at the Manticore. "Let me handle this. If I can't defeat this beast, then I have no right to call myself a man!"

"What's with the sudden drama?" Speedy wondered. I'm glad that he's all right.

Silver huffed angrily, "BRING IT ON MONSTER!"

Silver made a war cry as he charged forward, the Manticore doing the same. All we could do was close our eyes and wait for what's going to happen next.

"WAIT!" I heard Fluttershy yell. She stood in front of Silver and the Manticore. We all looked at her questioningly.

"What are you doing? Get out of the way! That thing is dangerous!" Silver warned, but Fluttershy ignored him when she turned her attention to the beast.

She inched forward, now closer to it. The Manticore lifted its gigantic claw, ready to swipe Fluttershy. We quickly became on edge, ready to retaliate if the Manticore attacked her.

"It's okay…" Fluttershy said to the Manticore caringly. She nuzzled the Manticore's left paw. The beast's expression turned from ferociousness to nervousness as it opened its paw, revealing a huge thorn. Wait, where was that when we were trying to fend it off? It just magically appeared!

"Aw, you poor, poor little baby," Fluttershy said as if she was talking to a toddler.

"Little?!" Silver exclaimed behind her.

"Now this might hurt for just a second…" She bit the giant thorn and pulled it out. The Manticore roared in agony and lifted her up. What came next completely rattled me. The Manticore licked Fluttershy affectionately.

"What just happened?" Silver stared at them in disbelief.

Seeing that the Manticore was distracted we took the time to get past it. I went to Silver and said, "It's all right now, Hassan."

"But…But…"

"I'm proud of you, you know? You just tried to face a monster head on! That's brave of you!"

"Who knew that the Manticore was just having a fit because of that huge thorn?" Speedy joined us.

I looked at Fluttershy, "How did you know that it was hurt?"

"I didn't." The Manticore brought her down carefully. Her mane sticked out from all the licking.

"Really?" asked Twilight.

"It's true. Sometimes, all we need is to show a little kindness." Fluttershy replied.

Twilight smiled a bit, and we moved on.

"I don't know what to expect in this place anymore," Silver stomped away in annoyance.

* * *

With two obstacles down, we now entered a darker and much more disgusting part of the forest. It reeked of swamp water, moist soil and animal poop. I sensed danger coming.

"Ugh! My eyes need a rest from all this icky muck!" Rarity exclaimed.

As time went on, I noticed that it got darker and darker the more we went inside this part of the Everfree. She just had to say it.

"Well, you just got your wish sweetheart." Speedy deadpanned.

"Well I didn't mean it literally." Rarity added.

"That ancient ruin could be right in front of our faces and we wouldn't even know it!" Twilight surmised.

Everyone got into a dispute of confusion about this place.

"I think I just stepped on something!" Applejack said.

"Me too," I lifted my hooves up, sticky mud covering it. "There's mud everywhere."

Fluttershy screamed.

"Don't worry Fluttershy. It's just mud." I told her.

I noticed that the other mares were shaking. "What?"

"I'm not scared at the mud," She pointed to something behind me. "It's…THAT!"

I was confused. Sure it was dark, but what could be possibly scarier in this place other than-HOLY SHIT!

I just had a jump scare moment there. When I turned around, there was a realistic scary face embedded on a tree. Eventually we found ourselves surrounded by these creepy figures. Were these the trees that Silver's been talking about?

"I told you the trees are creepy!" He shouted, blocking his eyes with a hoof.

"KILL IT! KILL IT WITH FIRE!" Speedy continued to yell dramatically while the others also began to scream in terror. Meanwhile, I was bewildered and stood there analyzing the situation. This must be some sort of trick, an illusion like that one part in the Snow White movie. But damn, the faces looked too realistic even for me. The Everfree Forest everyone, the place with the element of surprise.

They all stopped screaming suddenly, and we all looked at Pinkie Pie laughing at one of the trees and making funny faces at it.

"Pinkie what are you doing? Run!" Twilight told Pinkie, who was still in front of that tree with pointy teeth.

Pinkie Pie laughed, "Oh Twilight, don't you see?"

She began to bob her body from left to right, in sync with the music. Wait, music? Where is it coming from?

 _"When I was a little filly and the sun was going down~!"_

I shook my head, "Please tell me she's not just randomly singing."

 _"The darkness and the shadows they will always make me frown~!"_

"She already is," Speedy responded, bobbing his head rhythmically with the mysterious background music.

 _"I'd hide under my pillow! From what I thought I saw! But Granny Pie said that wasn't the way to deal with fears at all~!"_

"Then what is?" Silver asked.

 _"She said 'Pinkie! You got to stand up tall! Learn to face your fears! You'll see that they can't hurt you, just laugh and make them disappear~! HA! HA! HA!"_

The creepy face of the tree just poofed away when Pinkie laughed at it. Literally! With pink smoke! We all gasped at the scene. Pinkie continued to sing as the music became more ecstatic.

 _"So~! Giggle at the ghosty~! Guffaw at the grossy~! Crack up at the creepy~! Woof it up with weefy~! Chortle at the crooky~! Snortle at the spooky~!"_

The mares all began to laugh at the trees around us, and it all transformed back to normal. I just watched them with Silver right next to me.

"Hey guys! While everyone's laughing I need to take this as an advantage to tell you a joke I just remembered!" Speedy said taking his place in front of the two of us. "What do you call a fly with no wings?"

Silver and I shrugged.

Silver snorted, "A WALK! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

And that killed me right there. I didn't laugh at the joke. I laughed at his obnoxious laughter. Silver did too.

"Oh my god! You sound so retarded right now!" Silver said as he continued to laugh.

I heard poofing sounds behind us as well. The trees were no longer scary. I guess we helped out in someway.

 _"And tell that big old scary face to take a hike and leave you alone and if he thinks he can scare you then he's got a another thing coming and the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna-! HAHAHAHAHAHaaaaaa~…"_

Well that was a mouthful.

 _"LAUGH~!"_ Pinkie Pie finally finished her random musical number. All the trees now normal and the once dark forest now illuminated by the moonlight. The mares all flopped down laughing their hearts out. I watched them in amusement. They're like a typical elementary school gal pals.

From the distance, I heard a torrent of splashes. I followed the sound out of curiosity and I began to walk away from them. I heard laughter behind me, so they must be following.

Oh my god it's all coming back to me. This was the place where I woke up! Then that means that the river…Oh no.

The once calm river that morning had violent waves right now. And I have a feeling that we would meet that purple dragon.

"How are we gonna cross this?" Pinkie asked.

We heard crying not far from our location. We peeked from a bush, and saw the purple dragon. Was he the one crying?

"Dudes! It's that dragon with the mustache!" Speedy pointed.

"Yes I know, Speedy." I said.

"But why is it crying?" Silver wondered.

"What a world! What a world!" It cried, trashing around its long body and flailing his arms. He was the source of the violent waves of the river, and we need to stop him from doing that. How are we going to hush him up?

"Excuse me sir, but why are you crying?" Twilight asked. We all went out of the bush to confront the dragon. He faced us, and I noticed that half of his mustache was cut off.

Speedy gasped, "What happened to your face?!"

"Don't look at me! I'm horrible!" The dragon flopped down in the river and created a huge splash. And we were at water works, making us all dripping wet.

"Oh, give me a break!" Rainbow Dash said in annoyance.

"What happened to your mustache anyway?" I had to ask. Were dragons supposed to grow hair in the first place?

"Oh I don't know! I was just sitting here, minding my own business when this chunky little cloud of purple smoke just-WOOSHED past me and tore half of my beloved mustache! Clean off!" It explained. "And now, I look simply horrid!"

"That's what all the fuss is about?" Applejack asked.

"Your mustache will grow again. I don't see the problem!" Silver said.

"Why of course it is a problem!" Rarity walked towards the dragon. "How can you be so insensitive?"

"Uh, because we don't have mustaches?" Speedy said, but he was completely ignored.

"Oh, just look at him! Such lovely luminescent scales!" Rarity petted the dragons chin.

It sniffed, "I know…"

"Your expertly combed mane!"

"Oh I know! I know~!" The dragon ran a claw at its ginger hair.

"Your fabulous manicure!" Wait that dragon got his nails done?

"I know! That's so true!"

"Ha! GAAAA-" Before Speedy could finish that line we blocked it with our hooves.

"All ruined without your beautiful mustache!" Rarity finished.

"It's true! I'm hideous!" The dragon covered his face.

"I simply cannot let such a crime against fabulousity go uncorrected!" She said in determination. Was there even a word called fabulousity?

Rarity bit the dragon and plucked out a scale the size of her head.

"Ow! What did you do that for?" The dragon cried.

Rarity raised the scale, and it looked like she was ready to cut something.

"Rarity what are you-" Twilight's question left unfinished when Rarity cut off her stylish purple tail. The dragon fainted dramatically, his head right next to Rarity. With her magic, she tied her tail to replace the dragon's mustache.

"Oh! My mustache!" The dragon said joyfully, striking a pose. "How do I look?"

"You look smashing!" Rarity answered.

We walked up to Rarity. "Oh, Rarity! Your beautiful tail!" Twilight said.

"It's fine my dear! Short tails are in this season! Besides, it'll grow back."

"That's what I said earlier," Silver said.

"Well I can't just let him wait for months for his mustache to grow back in style, can I?"

"Wow, you're that generous?"

Rarity smiled proudly, "Maybe I am."

Now that the dragon calmed down, we could finally cross the river.

"Hey we can cross now!" Twilight announced, already crossing herself. She was suddenly lifted up by the dragon's snake like body.

Wait a minute, was he a dragon or a sea serpent? They all looked alike to me. I asked him once I got closer. Man I feel like I'm an idiot saying that he was a dragon all this time. Thanks a lot, How to Train your Dragon.

So we finally crossed the river and thanked Steven Magnet. Yeah, I had to ask his name. I'm tired of saying 'dragon, dragon, dragon.' Oh right, and he's a serpent.

* * *

Minutes of searching again through this misty path, we finally found the castle.

"There it is! The ruin that holds the Elements of Harmony!" Twilight announced.

"So we made it?" I asked.

"We are one stop away from saving the world, everyone!" We all agreed to Speedy's declaration.

"And we must waste no time!" Twilight took off ahead of us.

"Twilight wait! Let's not get excited!" I called out.

"Why not?! We're almost there- whoa!" Twilight almost fell off the cliff again. Good thing Rainbow Dash was there.

"What's with you and falling off cliffs today?" she asked.

"I'm sorry. I just got ahead of myself there." Twilight apologized.

"And the bridge connecting to the other side is down?" I brought up.

"Uh, duh?" Rainbow flapped her wings in front of me. Of course, she could tie up the other end of the bridge to the other side. She then flew down to grab hold of the other side of the bridge

It suddenly got misty that we couldn't see what was happening on the other cliff. This got me worried. Why was Rainbow Dash taking so long?

"Rainbow! What's taking so long?!" Twilight shouted. We couldn't see a damn thing in this thick fog.

"Do any of you have a sharp eye?" she asked.

"Let me take care of this," Speedy volunteered. He hovered up a few feet from the ground and searched.

"Well?"

"Hmm…haven't seen her yet…Oh wait there she is! And she's with three other ponies!"

"Three other ponies?"

The fog cleared up slightly, and all of us could now see Rainbow Dash with three Pegasi in black.

"Oh no! Rainbow, don't listen to them!" Twilight warned. One of the Pegasi's goggles glowed when she gazed at us, and the fog just got denser.

Seconds felt like hours to us in this tension. Who were those ponies? Evil was written all over them. I could hear them trying to persuade Rainbow Dash on something.

We heard a flapping of wings, and the one who landed in front of us was none other than Rainbow Dash. We all cheered for her safety and crossed the bridge. "See? I'd never leave my friends hanging!" she proclaimed.

I was walking next to Twilight when I saw her smiling. It seemed that she finally realized how important having friends could be.

Finally, we're now in front of this ruined castle. We took a step inside carefully. I looked around to check if there was something suspicious. None were found so far. In the middle of this huge place which I presumed was the main hall of the castle before, there stood a contraption made of concrete that held five different stones, each had different shapes in it.

"It's the Elements of Harmony! We found them!" Twilight announced. We all looked in astonishment at the ancient relics. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and even Speedy Glee helped out in bringing the elements down carefully in front of Twilight. It looks like he finally got the hang of flying.

"One, two, three, four…" Pinkie counted. "There's only five!"

I remembered that the sixth element was a complete mystery. Where the heck could it be?

"Where's the sixth?" Rainbow wondered.

"The book said that when the five elements are present, a spark will cause the sixth element to be revealed," Twilight informed, kneeling down and inspecting the stones.

"What in the hay is that supposed to mean?" Applejack asked.

"Does it need to be activated with concentrated magic?" I said.

"That's exactly what I had in mind, Star Blast. Stand back! I don't know what will happen." Twilight cautioned us and we gave her space. Her horn glows a purple hue when she began to concentrate.

"Come on ya'll. She needs to concentrate." Applejack told us and we made our way outside. I stopped by the door to look back at Twilight. She was completely defenseless in her position right now, so I surveyed the area one last time. I spotted a purple mist in my vision, making its way towards the Elements. Twilight was in danger!

"Twilight!" I yelled as I ran after her. At this rate, the purple mist enveloped the Elements as it spun around like a tornado, the size of it increasing. Nightmare Moon was sabotaging us!

Twilight finally got out of her concentration, and she screamed in surprise. "The Elements!"

She jumped into the tornado to stop it, and I barely made it myself. All I saw was a flash of white, and the cries of the others we left behind.

* * *

The purple tornado brought us in an unknown part of the castle. Twilight and I fell down the ground hard. I groaned, but I ignored the pain to help her up.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. Where are the Elements?"

We heard cackling near us, and we gasped when we saw Nightmare Moon. And worst of all, she has the Elements of Harmony! Lightning echoed the room.

"Why are you surprised? Did you seriously think that I'm just going to let you get the Elements of Harmony? I have been following you all this time to prevent you from doing it!" Nightmare Moon revealed.

"So it's all your doing? The cliff? The manticore? The trees?!" I pointed an accusing hoof at her, "You even involved an innocent bystander! And tricking Rainbow Dash to turn against her friends? You're worse than I thought!"

Twilight got ready to charge at her. Nightmare Moon looked at her in disbelief, "You're kidding, right?"

Twilight's horn glowed as she charged. Nightmare Moon took the challenge, and proceeded to charge as well. Nearing collision, Twilight suddenly disappeared while Nightmare Moon looked around. Twilight reappeared at the Elements' destination.

"Just one spark!" Twilight started to concentrate her magic in the five stones.

"No!" Nightmare Moon yelled before she tried to teleport again. Oh you're not going anywhere. I saw rubble the size of a golf ball near me, and with a kick it hit her point blank at the back of her head.

"You fool!" Nightmare Moon started to make her way towards me. I'm too angry to be terrified right now, and this situation is causing Twilight some time to activate the Elements.

I felt my body being covered in purple magic as I levitated. Nightmare Moon came face to face with me, "How dare you do that to me?!"

"What?" I asked, sounding innocent.

"You have hit me with a stone on the back of my head! Did you know how much it hurt?!"

"Oh, if I were you, I wouldn't be concerned about that right now." I said with a smug smirk, at least I tried it to be smug.

She made a look of confusion, before realizing that Twilight had all the time in the world activating the elements.

"What? No!" She dropped me down and teleported. I just hoped that I covered Twilight enough time.

Twilight was knocked away by a spark right when Nightmare Moon appeared. Then, the five stones started to glow that made her panic.

"You did it!" I said, rushing over her. She made a confident smirk, but the stones suddenly stopped glowing. Her magic didn't work?

Twilight gasped, "But where's the sixth element?"

"You little fools! Thinking you could defeat me?!" She cackled, before stomping down her hooves that shattered the five stones. We watched as every fragment of the stones showered right in front of us. "Now you will never see your Princess or the sun! The night will last forever!"

"That's where you're wrong!" I shouted.

"Hmm? What is it now? The Elements are now nothing but ashes! There's nothing in Equestria that can stop my reign!"

"What you didn't realize is that you actually helped us find the true Elements!"

"Star Blast, what are you saying? You just saw her destroy it!" Twilight said.

"Think about it Twilight. Didn't you see the pattern? The Elements of Harmony were with us this whole time!"

What? You didn't think that I would notice? Coincidentally, the five mares showed the traits of every element while we were having an adventure of a life time back there. As if on cue, the others finally arrived, calling for us. Twilight and I looked back, and I could've sworn that I heard a spark.

"Star Blast is right! You think you could destroy the Elements of Harmony just like that? Well you're wrong! Because the spirits of the Elements of Harmony are right here!" Twilight proclaimed. The remains of the five stones began to glow in five different colors and floated, making Nightmare Moon confused.

"What?!"

The tide was slowly turning to our favor! Things were going to get messy so I got out of the way.

"Applejack, who reassured me when I was in doubt, represents the spirit of Honesty!"

The sediments of the stone with an orange hue circled around Applejack.

"Fluttershy, who tamed the manticore with her compassion, represents the spirit of Kindness!"

The same happened with Fluttershy, this time sediments with a pink color.

"Pinkie Pie, who banished fear by giggling in the face of danger, represents the spirit of Laughter!"

Blue fragments revolved around Pinkie.

"Rarity, who calmed a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift, represents the spirit of Generosity!"

Violet fragments surrounded Rarity.

"And Rainbow Dash, who could not abandon her friends for her own heart's desire, represents the spirit of Loyalty!"

Finally, red crystals appeared around her.

"The spirits of these five ponies got us through every challenge you threw at us!" Twilight finished.

"You still don't have the sixth Element! The spark didn't work!" Nightmare Moon countered quickly. Oh we have it alright, and she's talking to you.

"But it did. A different kind of spark," Twilight looked at the five with tears, "And I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you. The spark ignited inside me, when I realized that you all are my friends!"

Up above, a stone with star shape floated down and stopped in front of Twilight. I had to block my eyes thanks to the brightness of it.

"You see Nightmare Moon, when those Elements are ignited by the spark that resides in the heart of us all, creates the sixth Element. The Element of…Magic!"

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Now I get it! Okay ignore this unnecessary side comment and let's go back to the action.

The crystals that surrounded them formed into necklaces, except for Twilight whose element formed a tiara. They all floated up, a white glow enveloping them. But suddenly they all fell down. That can't be good.

"What? Why didn't it work?!" Twilight wondered.

Even Nightmare Moon was surprised. She let out a laugh of relief, "Looks like the Elements of Harmony weakened within time!"

"What?! But that's impossible!"

I did not anticipate this.

Nightmare Moon's face was filled with rage at that point. With her magic, she grabbed and held us up in the air. The mares struggled at the grip while I glared at her.

"Now I will gladly take this opportunity to purge you once and for all!"

We were running out of options. Nightmare Moon's too powerful that even these Elements couldn't stop her. Her gaze was terrifying. All I could think right now was the suffering that she would give to us, and we probably had no chance of going home now.

Unsuspectingly, a blur of gray charged at her. It interrupted the magic that held us up, and we fell down on our butts. We were all surprised, to see Silver who pummeled Nightmare Moon.

"Hassan? Where the hell have you been?!"

"I'm sorry man. We got lost!"

"I told you to go right!" Applejack said. "The two of you just disappeared!"

"Sorry!"

"But your timing couldn't have been better."

"What's this? A pony that dared attack me? You must be very brave to do such a thing." Nightmare Moon sneered at Silver's presence.

"I maybe a coward most of the time, but when our lives and safety is on the line, I will never back down!" Silver replied. I could tell that he was serious. Even with his ponified face, I recognized it, the look that he always liked to call "clutch mentality" when he's in a tight basketball game. His eyes were full of determination, his mind was as strong as steel, and a heart that pumped resiliency.

Nightmare Moon laughed at his statement, "Very well. Then let's see if you could withstand a thousand strikes of lightning!"

"I don't think so lady!"

We all looked up, seeing Speedy flying through the air. He was holding a huge boulder, and he dropped it above Nightmare Moon. Enraged, she quickly crushed the boulder with her magic and looked around, "Where are you?!"

"Think fast!"

With absurd speed, we witnessed Nightmare Moon crash through the wall. I was startled, because since when did he had that kind of strength and speed?

"Hah! Take that!" Speedy said as he floated down.

We all stared at him in awe. He managed to send her flying and crash through a wall!

"Speedy? How did you do that?" Rainbow Dash asked. "That was so AWESOME!"

He looked at us with a smile, "Simple! I just believed in myself that I can do it!"

"And?" I know that's not the only reason.

"Uh…Cartoon physics?"

"And?"

He sighed, "Adrenaline…"

"Is that so? You might regret your overwhelming confidence! Nopony can stop me!" Nightmare Moon teleported right in front of us again, not a single scratch on her.

"Oh come on!" Speedy and Silver backed away from her until they were right next to me.

"I've wasted my time dealing with you! It is time to finish you once and for all! And after this nuisance, all of Equestria will be mine!"

 _Ugh, she's unbeatable! Wait, let's see if this works._

"Wait just a minute!"

"Oh, what is it now!" She cried in annoyance.

I took a breath. This idea of mine sounded so stupid, but I tried it. "What if I told you that there are three more Elements other than the six?!"

"WHAT?!" All the ponies in the room exclaimed.

"But Star Blast! The book only said about six Elements! How could there be more?" Twilight asked me.

All I could say to her was, "Trust me."

Nightmare Moon laughed at me, "Do you think I'm a fool? I know that there are only six Elements of Harmony and even those couldn't stop me! How in Equestria could there be more?"

I tried my best to answer confidently, "I'm not making this up. Those three Elements…are right here!" I gestured myself, Speedy and Silver.

"That's not possible…There is no such thing!" I noticed Nightmare Moon's tone turned panicky. She's actually buying it?

I wasted no time to go in the offense, "Silver Spur, I've known him for 5 years and let me honestly tell you that he's the most emotional of the three of us. But when I witnessed him being put into the direst situation, his sensitivity turned into bravery. He strengthened his mind and spirit to face these challenges and for once never backed down! So that's why it's fitting for him to harness the Element of… Valor!"

And what happened next surprised me. I didn't know it would work, but when a stone magically appeared in a flash and floated down in front of Hassan, my prayers were answered. It glowed a glittery silver, engraved in it was a spur like his mark.

"Another Element? So it is true!" Twilight said in awe. She didn't know that I made this all up.

I just broke the show.

Silver stared at his stone. "Woah…"

I continued, "Speedy Glee is my friend ever since kindergarten. When someone feels down, he was always there to cheer us up. When the going gets tough, he would always try and try because he never doubted the abilities of not only himself, but to everyone who is dear to him. His optimism led him to be the person-er, pony that he is today! You are now looking at the one possessing the Element of… Confidence!"

A stone appeared above him too, this time a gold hue with a fire shaped mark.

"Awesome! Mine is LIT!" he said.

"I was so lucky to meet them in my life. Back in the day I never really cared about anyone, but I accepted them with open arms in my world. I admired them, and from that point on I was now able to feel and understand how something or someone is important and valuable. We had a wonderful time here in Ponyville, for I admire that everypony treats each other like family, not just friends. And we're not going to let you get away with your evil plot! This is your last stand, for I harness the Element of Respect!"

I finally settled as a stone floated above me. It was emerald green, the mark engraved on it the same as my mark in my flank, a star with a dozen needle-like diamonds. Rather than necklaces like what happened to the mares, our Elements turned into chest plates, and they're admittedly very detailed and cool in appearance.

The six began to glow once again, creating a rainbow. Our silver, gold, and emerald glow mixed with the rainbow and surrounded Nightmare Moon. She cried, being attacked by the Elements of Harmony.

The whole room was engulfed by a flash of white until we found ourselves lying on the ground when it finished.

"Oh my head…" said Rainbow Dash.

"Everypony okay?" asked Applejack.

"More than okay!" we saw Rarity's tail all grown back.

"Oh Rarity, it's so lovely!" Fluttershy said in admiration.

"I know! I will never part with it again!" Rarity waved her tail around before cuddling it.

"No, it's your necklace. It looks just like your Cutie Mark." Fluttershy pointed out.

"So does yours!"

"Look at mine! Look at mine!" Pinkie Pie hopped around, showing off her accessory.

"Aww yeah!" I think we could all guess that was Rainbow Dash.

"We finally have superpowers!" Speedy said ecstatically. "And look. At. Our. ARMORS!"

"I know. It looks impressive." Silver said.

I just watched them being amazed. Was it pure coincidence that our 'Cutie Marks' and the symbol of the Elements were the same?

"Gee, I thought the two of you were just spewing a lot of hooey! But I reckon, we really do represent the elements of friendship!" Applejack exclaimed.

"Indeed you do…"

A ball of light appeared from out of nowhere and a tall pony with a coat of the purest white and a mane composing of a light green, blue and pink revealed itself. The six mares bowed down to her. Is she Princess Celestia? Silver, Speedy and I also bowed down to her to show our respect.

"Princess Celestia!" Twilight ran over to her and gave her a hug.

"Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student." The Princess replied with a hug of her own. "I knew you could do it."

"But…you told me that it was just an old pony tale."

"I told you that you needed to make some friends, nothing more. I saw the signs of Nightmare Moon's return, and I knew that it was you who had the magic inside to defeat her. But you could not unleash it until you let true friendship into your heart."

Twilight nodded in understanding. "But…The Elements? I didn't know that there were Valor, Confidence, and Respect."

The Princess' face turned stern when she looked at me, "Not even I knew about it. But… I do recall a prophecy as old as these lands that three, mystique beings across another world will set foot in Equestria, although it is unknown what their roles will be. But since you've become the bearers of of three Elements, it is safe to assume that you are our allies."

From that moment, every pony looked at the three of us. A prophecy? That's why we were brought here? Was that in the show?!

"Prophecy? I don't remember something like that on TV…" Speedy whispered.

"You what? I thought you haven't watched a single episode?!" Silver whispered harshly.

"Okay, I admit. I watched a season finale but that was years ago! I can't even remember most of the events in that episode because I wasn't that interested before!" he then looked at me. "What's YOUR explanation, Rob?! How did you know we're part of those Element Harmonies?!"

I sighed. "I said those things because when I thought that we're cartoon characters, I presumed that anything could happen!"

We heard a female voice clearing her throat. We slowly turned around and saw that everybody was looking at us. We tried not to lose our composure.

"Yesterday, I sensed a powerful surge of magic in the Everfree Forest that only lasted for mere seconds, and I presume that it was you three?" She informed.

My eyes moved uneasily, "…It could be anyone?"

There was no point lying to them now. I took a deep breath before answering, "All right, it's true. We are from another world. A portal appeared before us and it sent us into yours."

Every pony gasped as expected.

"We didn't know the reason why, and we decided to travel Ponyville to find answers. Heck, we even managed to help and defeat Nightmare Moon, thinking that she was the one behind all of it."

"But Nightmare Moon has been trapped in the moon for centuries. It's impossible for her to cast a teleportation spell." Twilight said. "And how did you know that there were three more Elements?"

I couldn't give a proper explanation. I didn't know the reason why it happened. "I didn't."

"It seems that the magic of friendship is more powerful than we thought that it created these, three new Elements." Princess Celestia said.

I just shrugged with a confused smile, "I guess so, Princess."

"Now if only another will embrace friendship as well…" She turned at the smoke covered crater. There was a small violet pony laying there. "Princess Luna."

The pony looked startled when Celestia began to walk towards her. "It has been around a thousand years since I have seen you like this. It is time to put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together, little sister."

"Sister?" we all questioned.

"Will you accept my friendship?" Princess Celestia asked her sister hopefully.

Every pony leaned forward in anticipation. Pinkie fell down for leaning too much.

Princess Luna finally broke down crying, "I'm so sorry! I've missed you big sister!" she said, giving Celestia a hug.

"I missed you too!" the Princess replied tearfully.

The scene was heartwarming. It reminded me of family. The others were in tears, especially Speedy and Pinkie. Remember that Speedy has a sister?

Pinkie blew on a tissue loudly. Her mood changed suddenly, "Hey! You know what this calls for?!"

"Let me guess, a party?" I said.

"A PARTY!"

"Yes. The ponies of Ponyville would love to meet their heroes, and their returning ruler." Princess Celestia agreed.

"Really? But... I have threatened and hurt these little ponies. You really think that they would accept me?" Luna asked doubtfully.

"Of course they will, my sister." Princess Celestia smiled at her, and Luna finally accepted.

Royal guards came upon the entrance of the old castle. The Princess motioned us to ride in this huge golden carriage and we accepted. Well, except Speedy Glee, who could now fly without struggling? It was hard to tell. He was flying with a happy expression while his flight pattern was abstract.

We finally came back to Ponyville where every pony was waiting for the arrival of Princess Celestia. Pinkie Pie wasted no time to begin the largest party I have ever been to.

Spike ran towards Twilight to give her a big hug when we came down the carriage. Every pony bowed at Princess Celestia's presence. Two little Pegasi gave Princess Luna flowers that caught her by surprise.

Man, this was an exhausting day.

"So the result of her defeat didn't bring us home after all." Silver said gloomily. "An old prophecy brought us in this show? Who would've guessed! Out of all three people, why does it have to be us?"

"Because we are the elements of Valor, Confidence, and Respect! Right, Rob?" Speedy winked at me, causing me to roll my eyes.

"I know, I know it's cheesy." I said. But seriously, why were we chosen? And importantly, WHO chose us?

Not far away, I saw Twilight's sad face. When I was about to ask her, Princess Celestia beat me to it.

"Why so glum my faithful student?" Celestia asked as she walked over. "Are you not happy that your quest is complete and that you can return to your studies in Canterlot?"

"That's just it. Just when I learned how wonderful it is to have friends, I have to leave them behind." Twilight responded.

We all watched as the Princess continued to speak.

"Spike, take a note please." Celestia ordered the dragon nicely. Spike held a paper and pen.

"I, Princess Celestia, hereby decree that the Unicorn Twilight Sparkle shall take on a new mission for Equestria. She must continue to study the magic of friendship. She must report to me her findings from her new home in Ponyville!"

We all cheered as they gathered around her. "Oh thank you Princess Celestia! I'll study harder than ever before!" Twilight vowed.

"And as for you three," The Princess turned to us. "You have my deepest gratitude for assisting my student and her beloved friends. And as the bearers of the Valor, Confidence, and Respect, we expect great things from you in the future."

We nodded, "Don't worry, Princess. We will."

"But please, do tell me if you wanted to know more information about the prophecy. Even I am unsure about your current situation, but I am willing to help you out. "

"We'd love to," I responded. "But... maybe some other time, your highness? We'd like to hang low at least for awhile after all the events that just occurred."

"I see... then I respect your decision, dear Star Blast."

I nodded and flashed a smile.

"Now continue partying, my little ponies!" Celestia announced, and the party resumed.

It went on for hours. Since I'm not the type that likes to 'party' in a celebration, I sat out and watched them instead, drinking a cup full of apple juice with a straw. Oh I want to finish Daring Do so badly right now.

"Fancy seeing you here, Star Blast." I jumped up when I heard Twilight's voice.

I smirked at her, "Hey Sparkles."

She chuckled as she took a seat next to me, "Why don't you hang out with us? This party is not fun if I'm not enjoying it with all of my friends."

I smiled, "This day totally changed your point of view, huh?'

"Yeah, it did." She sighed. "And I wanted to say thank you."

"For what?" I asked.

"If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have found the hidden Elements to defeat Nightmare Moon."

Oh, that. "It's nothing and I just… did what I thought I was supposed to do."

"No, really. Even though the three of you came from another world, you helped and saved Equestria from evil. You've helped us more than you realized, Blast."

"Well, even if the _prophecy_ did say that, I wouldn't hesitate from the get-go."

"By the way, since you're… alien and all, I'm guessing that you don't have a place to stay?"

Oh right, I forgot, "Pretty much. We're basically broke and homeless right now."

"If that's the case, why don't the three of you live with me and Spike for a while at the library? I'm sure there's another room that you could use." Twilight suggested.

I quickly questioned her, "Are you sure? I mean, wouldn't it be a little awkward to have three, literal out-of-this-world stallions under the same roof as housemates?"

"Oh don't be silly!" Twilight waved off. "And you can help and join me with my studies! Don't you want to learn how Unicorn magic works?"

"Well… I do, but offering us to live with you? It's just too much."

"It's the least I can do for a friend, but it's still your choice if you three want to have a place of your own."

I had thought about this for a moment, but it was better than nothing. How could I refuse a kind offer? "Okay, Twilight. Thank you for having us."

"Great!" she stood up. "We're playing pin the tail on the pony at Sugarcube Corner. Care for a round?"

I chuckled. This whole friendship thing totally changed her. "Sure. Why not?"

* * *

 _Author's Note!_

 _Ugh... writing this long makes me feel exhausted, due to the demand of my friends for more exposition of their OC's_

 _And I have mixed feelings about this chapter right here. I'm so going to regret turning them into Elements XD_

 _As always! Fav it! Follow it! Review and tell me what you think!_

 _See you guys in the next chapter! **LUMINOUS FADING AWAY...**_

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE THREE OC'S!**


	7. Bragging Rights

**_The Misadventures of Ponified Friends_**

 ** _Chapter 6: Bragging Rights (The Ticket Master)_**

* * *

I was awakened by the ringing of an alarm clock. I yawned, and got up from my sleeping position. I cracked my neck and rotated my shoulders due to the stiffness. I opened the binds of the window, letting the sunshine enter our room.

So it had been a week since we arrived here in this cartoon world, and also a week since the whole 'Nightmare Moon' fiasco. The moment we were transported here, we had no idea whatsoever the reason why. But when we defeated the Mare in the Moon, we found out that a 'prophecy' said that three beings from another world would set foot here.

Let me honestly say, that's a load of bull. It's safe to say that that wasn't supposed to happen in the show and there must be something else involved in this. I'm not mad or anything. I'm actually okay with us being protectors in this world. So if were transported here, there must be a purpose.

Anyways, let me tell you a few things that occurred during our first week here in My Little Pony.

Thanks to Twilight, we now temporarily live in the Golden Oak Library that served as her home here in Ponyville. Our room was as big as hers, with three beds and lots and lots of books. I was amazed really, because the library looked smaller from the outside. It took us time to adjust at their customs, especially with regards to food. I mean, who knew that hay and dandelions had a savory flavor? Looks like we'll be herbivores for a while. Good thing that they didn't know we eat meat back in our world.

Like I said before, we need to find jobs to earn us some money. As a Pegasus, Speedy Glee's job is to help out the others control the weather here in Ponyville. Rainbow Dash already guaranteed him a spot in the management.

When we remembered that we owe Applejack bits, Silver Spur volunteered to help out in the Apple orchard. He didn't mind the hard labor, instead thinking that it's some form of training (that emotional jock...).

As for me, well, I hadn't found a single job that interests me so I'm kind of stuck here in the library with Twilight and Spike all day or wander around town. With this amount of free time, I took it as an advantage to learn Unicorn magic. Twilight gave me some lessons about it, and so far I'm still stuck with the basics like making an object float that they teach for children in Magic Kindergartens. With my inexperience, I could only make an object levitate for at least 5 to 10 seconds. Damn headaches, but it was worth it. Like they say, "Patience is a virtue".

I was surprised that she didn't pester us about the details of our world. She looked like the kind of individual that would do anything to gather data. I talked to her about it, then she replied that it was out of her business and she respects our privacy… because she was afraid that we were going to blow up her world. I admit, that got me laughing so hard, but in the end I shared some of Earth's and our history.

It was around eight thirty in the morning, so I fixed up my bed, folded the bed sheets and puffed my pillows. I like to keep things tidy you see, unlike those two who left their areas a heaping mess. Silver's probably back at the orchard and Speedy might be hanging out with either Rainbow Dash or Pinkie Pie somewhere.

Huh. Now that I realized, I'm getting used to calling them by their 'pony' names. Okay: Lemuel is Speedy Glee, Hassan is Silver Spur. I am Robert Andersen, also known as Star Blast in this world. Always remember.

Now that my little area in the room was clean, it was time to start a brand new day.

Opening the door of our room, the strong smell of coffee and pancakes invaded my senses. Spike's probably cooking breakfast right now. For a baby dragon, he sure knew what to do in a kitchen.

Climbing down, I saw Twilight drinking a cup of tea while also reading a book. She looked up, noticing my presence.

"Good Morning, Star Blast!" She greeted me cheerfully. Didn't know she was a morning person-er, pony.

"Hey," I replied with a yawn, taking my place in the table

Spike arrived with another round of pancakes. "Morning, Blast!" he greeted while I nodded as a reply. I took a plate and grabbed some pancakes while I poured in coffee on my mug. There was a moment of silence as I ate in bliss, but Twilight broke it anyway.

"So…How did you do yesterday?" She asked.

I looked at her, "Well, I never left the library at all because you were so busy lecturing me."

"I know! And you're improving as well! If this continues, you'll be a novice at Unicorn magic in no time!" She informed.

I sighed as I rolled my eyes playfully, "Whatever you say, Twilight."

"And you're in luck!" Twilight levitated a notebook, flipping through pages, "Because today, I don't have anything scheduled. We can do anything we want at the excess time."

I nodded as I sipped on my coffee, "Glad to know. All these lessons are giving me headaches. Literally."

We heard the door click open, and it was Silver who went inside. "Hey guys."

"Silver? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be working at Sweet Apple Acres?" I questioned.

"Well there's a reason. Applejack asked me to go here and invite you to help out in harvesting apples."

"Why?"

He shook his head, "She didn't tell me."

"Sure! We'll be glad to help!" Twilight said with a smile. "How about you guys?"

"Count me in! I can't wait to get some of their apples!" Spike proclaimed.

"It beats doing nothing around here. Time to lay off the books for a while," I said, also agreeing. "But before we go though, let me finish my pancakes."

* * *

It certainly was hard work. Well, for them at least.

Twilight and I actually never did the "bucking" because our legs lacked strength. Trust me, I tried kicking a tree and it felt like I broke something. Instead, we just helped Applejack and Silver collect the apples with our magic around the orchard. When we finished, we harvested a total of eight baskets full of those delicious fruit in our saddles, heading back to the barn.

"Thank ya'll kindly for helping me out here," Applejack thanked as we trotted. "I betted Big Macintosh that I can get all these golden delishes in the barn by lunch time. If I win, he's gonna walk down Styrup street in one of Granny Smith's girdles !"

"So that's why you asked for help?" I questioned her. "That's kind of unfair."

"I still can't believe he actually meant it. Boy, wait till he finds out you finished this." Silver commented.

"I know!" Applejack giggled at the thought of her brother in a humiliating situation.

"I'm glad that the goal is lunch time. All this hard work is making me hungry." Twilight said. Meanwhile, Spike was busy checking the apples in Twilight's saddle, throwing out the ones he deemed unappetizing.

"I know right?" Spike threw another apple, this time landing on my head. I glared at him while he looked away acting all innocent.

"Spike, please stop wasting good food," I scolded him. "Also, you did nothing but lounge on Twilight's back all day. How can you be hungry?"

"Who wouldn't get hungry at lunch? And you worked so long that I missed my snack time!" The dragon retorted.

As if on cue, we heard a grumbling stomach. Twilight chuckled in embarrassment, "I guess we better get some food?"

Spike continued to search through the bucket of apples, until he picked one out that outshined the others. The biggest, red-est, and juiciest apple we ever saw.

"Oh Spike, that looks delicious!" Twilight said, licking her lips at the sight. Then, Spike devoured the apple in one bite. "Spike!"

"What?" Spike shrugged as he gulped. Suddenly, he burped his magical green dragon flame, and a letter was formed that was shrouded in glitters.

"It's a letter from Princess Celestia!" Twilight announced. We watched as the letter floated down, before Spike grabbed it. He cleared his throat before opening and reading the letter.

"Hear ye, Hear ye! Your grand royal highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria, is pleased to announce that the Grand Galloping Gala is to be held at the magnificent capital city of Canterlot on the 21st day of…yaddah, yaddah, yaddah… greatfully extends an invitation to Twilight Sparkle, plus one guest!"

Both Twilight and Applejack gasped, "The Grand Galloping Gala?!" Then they began to jump around, excitement clear in their voices. "The Grand Galloping Gala!"

Silver and I looked at each other before exchanging shrugs. Grand Galloping Gala? It sounds like some sort of royal ball.

Spike burped up another one of his magical dragon flame, this time two golden tickets appeared. Spike caught the tickets when he let it land on his claws, "Look! Two tickets!"

"Wow! Great!" Twilight exclaimed at the sight. "I've never been to the Gala! Have you Spike?"

He shook his head, "No, and I plan to keep it that way. I don't want any of that girly-frilly-fru-fru nonsense."

"Aw, come on Spike. A dance would be nice!" Twilight encouraged. "What about you two? Have you ever been to the Gala?"

"Uh…Since we came from another world, no we haven't." I responded. For a smart and organized pony, she always forgets that fact.

"Oh right. Silly me!"

"And what is the Grand Galloping Gala?" Silver asked.

"Oh it's the most wonderful, magical royal ball in Equestria, Silver Spur! Any pony would do anything just to attend there!"

Oh. So it's like Disney World then. Actually no, more like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. You know, because of the golden tickets?

"You said it, Twilight!" Applejack agreed. "Land sakes! If I had an apple stand set up, ponies would be chowing our tasty little vittles till the cows came home! Do you have any idea how much business I could drum up for Sweet Apple Acres? Why, with all that money we could do a heapin' of upgrades here! We could replace that saggy old ranch, Big Macintosh can replace that saggy old plow, and Granny Smith can replace that saggy old hip!"

"Oh, well in that case, would you like to-" A scream interrupted Twilight's invitation. We all looked up to see Rainbow Dash, who fell down on Twilight and Applejack. Also, this caused the baskets that the orange and purple pony were carrying to drop, spilling the apples.

"Are we talking about the 'Grand Galloping Gala'?" Rainbow Dash asked. How many times do we have to hear this? I presume this could be another episode in the show.

"Rainbow Dash! You told me you were too busy to help me harvest the apples. What were you busy doing? Spying?" Applejack demanded as she stood up. While they're busy, Silver and I picked up the apples that scattered around the place.

"No!" Rainbow Dash responded, turning around to face Twilight, "I was busy…napping."

I noticed that there's a pillow and a blanket in the tree branch above us. At least she was telling the truth. Hearing our entire conversation was bound to happen.

"I just happened to hear that you have an extra ticket?" Rainbow Dash asked Twilight, fluttering herself upside down.

"Yeah…but-"

"YES! This is so AWESOME!" Rainbow Dash cheered, flipping. "The Wonderbolts perform at the Grand Galloping Gala every year! I can see it now…"

That was the moment that Silver and I left to bring the apples to the ranch, including the baskets of Twilight and Applejack. The only thing I heard from Rainbow's story was showing off her moves at the gala for those Wonderbolts she was talking about.

Now we're in a topic about galas, I remembered the time I had in our Homecoming. As introverted as I am, it was rather fun. Lemuel had the time of his life in there, dancing to the electro music. There was this one time that he took off his upper garments and just got wild on the dance floor. That action almost cost him to be kicked out of the gym. Hassan, well he also had fun, hanging out with his Basketball teammates who were hitting on girls and asking them for a dance. He never did all those things and just gone with the flow. As for me, I do what I usually do, just sit out and watch, although some girls in our class invited me to dance with them which I politely declined.

Okay, now that we placed the apples in the barn and took a short breather we decided to go back to the three mares. When we arrived, we witnessed Applejack and Rainbow arm-er, hoof wrestling.

"What are they doing?" I wondered aloud.

Twilight made a groan, "They're fighting over the ticket." She then came over the two to stop the wrestling. "Girls! These are my tickets! I decide who gets it, thank you very much!"

"I agree," I joined in. "We need to settle this in the most peaceful way I could think of. Whoever has the best reason to go gets the ticket."

That's when I saw Twilight glaring at me. "What?"

"Didn't you hear what I just said?I decide who gets the ticket."

Sheesh, my bad. "Sorry."

Twilight put a hoof on her chin, "But you know… I'm with you on your suggestion."

"Well in that case, I can drum up business for the farm!" Applejack began.

"If I'm there, I have the chance to audition for the Wonderbolts!" Rainbow Dash added.

"I can earn money to fix Granny's hip!"

"I can be living the dream!"

"Those are pretty good reasons all right." Silver commented.

"Oh my. They are, aren't they?" you said it, Twilight. She then glanced in our direction. "Can I ask for a second opinion, boys?"

I was about to say something but Twilight's grumbling stomach beat me to it.

"Well we can't make important decisions on an empty stomach, Twilight. Trust me." I told her. She replied with an awkward laugh.

Twilight turned back to Applejack and Rainbow, "I'll think about it over lunch and get back to you two, okay?"

The two looked at each other, in an intense way. Avoiding another heated battle, we decided to take our leave.

"Watch over those two for us, okay?" I whispered to Silver.

He sighed, watching them in another hoof wrestle. "I'll try…"

"Thanks. See you this afternoon."

* * *

I followed Twilight and Spike wander around the town, probably looking for a place to eat. I don't mind eating anywhere.

"So, who're you gonna give the ticket to?" Spike asked.

"I don't know Spike, but I really can't think straight when I'm hungry."

"Plus, it can put someone in a bad mood." I added.

Twilight chuckled. "That's true. So, where should we eat?"

Coincidentally, we were in front of Sugarcube Corner. That's when a pink blur tackled Twilight from the front door.

"Are you guys okay?" I rushed over them, Pinkie Pie on top of Twilight with the tickets in front of her nose. When she opened her eyes and saw the tickets, she began panicking for some reason.

"AAAHHH! BATS! BATS ON MY FACE!" she screamed as she ran around.

I heard the door of Sugarcube Corner swing open, and it was Speedy Glee who came out with a cupcake on his hoof.

"What's all the fuss?" He wondered.

"BATS! BATS!"

"Seriously? In this time of the day?" He then noticed our presence. "Hey dude! Fancy seeing you guys here!"

I nodded my head, "Hey Lem. What are you doing inside Sugarcube Corner?"

"Uh, lunch. Duh?"

I sighed, "Okay…okay…"

While Pinkie was still panicking, I grabbed the tickets. How I grabbed them easily with a hoof was beyond my knowledge. Let's just say it's Cartoon Logic. "Hey Pinkie Pie! They're not bats!"

She hit the brakes, "They're not?"

I waved the tickets in front of her face to prove my point, "See?"

She gasped, "Are those tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala?!"

…Oh dear. The look she made told me she also want the tickets.

"It's the most amazing, incredible, tremendous, super fun, wonderful, terrific, humongous party in all of Equestria! I've always, always, ALWAYS wanted to go!"

Either does any pony here, Pinkie. And I'm pretty sure it's not the kind of party you're used to. Wait, music? She's not going to sing, is she?

 _"Oh the Grand Galloping Gala is the best place for me! Oh the Grand Galloping Gala is the best place for me! Yip yip! Hooray! It's the best place for me! For Pinkiiiee!~"_

"What's she singing about this time?" I heard Speedy ask as he approached me.

"The Grand Galloping Gala. It's some sort of Royal Ball here in this world." I answered him.

He gave a look of un-attraction, "Royal Ball, huh? Not interested. I'm sure everyone's going to be formal."

Pinkie continued, "The decorations and streamers and fairy lights and pinwheels and piñatas and pin cushions with goodies like sugar cubes and sugar canes and sundaes and sunbeams and sarsaparilla! And I get to play my favoritest and favorite funtabulous games like pin the tail on the pony!"

"Okay now I'm in the hype." Speedy said with a smile.

"Don't let your expectations fool you."

 _"Oh the Grand Galloping Gala is the best place for me! Oh the Grand Galloping Gala is the best place for me! Cause it's the most galariffic superbly terrific gala ever in the whole galaxy! Whee!~"_

When Pinkie finished, she hopped around me cheerfully, "Oh thank you, thank you Star Blast! It's the most wonderfulest gift ever!"

I blinked.

"Actually Pinkie, those are-" Twilight tried to correct her but we heard another gasp. We turned around and saw Rarity staring at the tickets I'm holding.

"Are these what I think they are?" Rarity looked at the tickets like it's some sort of treasure.

"Uh…"

"Yes, yes, yes! Star Blast's gonna take me to the Grand Galloping Gala in Canterlot!" I'm gonna what now? Would you please let us explain?

"The Gala? I design ensembles for the Gala every year, but I never had the opportunity to attend." Rarity explained, "Oh the society, the culture, the glamour! It's where I truly belong! And it's where I'm destined to meet…HIM!"

"Him?" We all wondered.

"Him…" Rarity made dreamy eyes before entering into her own world, "I would stroll through the gala, and everyone would wonder, 'Who is that mysterious mare?'. They never would have guessed that I was just a simple pony from little, old Ponyville. Why, I would cause such a sensation that I would be invited for an audience with Princess Celestia herself! And the Princess would be so taken with the style and elegance that she would introduce me to…HIM! Her nephew, the most handsome, eligible Unicorn stallion in Canterlot! Our eyes would meet, our hearts would melt, and our courtship would be magnificent. He would ask for my hoof in marriage, and of course, I would say, 'YES!' We would have a royal wedding, befitting a princess which is, hee hee, what I would become upon marrying him! The stallion of my dreams!"

I just stood there, awe-stricken at Rarity's cheesy love story.

"Aww! That's so cute!" Speedy complimented, before whispering to me, "Hassan will be so pissed if he heard that!"

"Star Blast! I simply cannot believe you would invite Pinkie Pie so she can 'party' and prevent me from meeting my true love! Hmm!" Rarity complained before turning her back on me. "How could you?"

I sighed in exasperation, "Will you please let me talk for at least ten seconds?"

I felt someone snatch the tickets from my grasp that startled me. "What the-?" I saw a white rabbit running away with the tickets. I watched as it ran towards a very familiar yellow mare.

"Oh, Angel. These are perfect!" I heard Fluttershy say when the bunny showed her the tickets.

Now that everyone's not talking anymore, "Guys. I just wanted to say that the tickets belong to Twilight. And she hasn't decided who to give the extra ticket to."

"She hasn't?!" Both Rarity and Pinkie exclaimed. Please give me my personal space.

"Uhm, Excuse me?" We all glanced at Fluttershy, "I would just like to ask, I mean, if it would be all right if you haven't given it to someone else…"

Wait a minute. Is Fluttershy hinting that-

"You?!" Rarity exclaimed in incredulity. "You want to go to the Gala?"

"Uhm…No…" The white rabbit kicked her in the hoof. "I mean, yes…kind of."

"Really?" Speedy intervened. "No offense, but I think you're too shy to be attending that kind of gathering."

"Oh I'm not interested in the ball. You see, there's this wondrous, private gated garden that surrounds the dance. The flowers are said to be the most beautiful and fragrant in all of Equestria! In the night of the Gala and that night alone will they all be in bloom!" She explained.

"Hmm, sounds magical." Speedy commented.

"And that's just the flora! Don't even get me started at the fauna! There's Loons, Toucans and Bitterns, oh my! Humming Birds that can really hum, and Buzzards that can really buzz! With Blue Jays, Red Jays and even Green Jays! Pink Jays and Pink Flamingos!"

"Gee Fluttershy, it sounds…beautiful?" Twilight said in uncertainty.

"Wait just a minute!" We heard Rainbow Dash's voice demand up on a roof.

"Were you spying on us again Rainbow?" I asked as she landed in front of me.

"No! I mean, yes! I mean, maybe? Look, it doesn't matter! I couldn't risk a goody four-shoes like her giving that ticket away to just anypony!" She declared before glaring at Speedy. "And you! What are you doing here?! You're supposed to be clearing out the clouds in Town Square!"

"Oh shoot! I forgot!" Speedy turned to face me. "Catch ya later dude!" then he flew off.

"Now wait just another minute!" This time Applejack arrived. I told Silver to keep an eye on them!

"Were you following us too?" Twilight demanded.

"No! I was following RD to make sure she didn't try any funny business!" She pointed an accusing hoof. "Pfft! Trying to steal my ticket!"

"Your ticket?!"

Soon everyone in the gang began to argue around us about who deserves the right to get that ticket. It didn't help that we're still hungry. I won't be surprised if someone breaks a fuse.

"QUITE!" Twilight shouted, making everyone stop…except for a certain pony.

"And I said 'oat meal? Are you crazy?'" Pinkie stopped when every pony was looking at her. Her statements were clearly out of topic.

"Girls, there's no use in arguing! This is my decision and I'm gonna make it on my own! And I certainly cannot think straight with all this noise!" Her stomach grumbled again. "Not to mention hunger! Now go on!"

I felt my body being enveloped by Twilight's magic, and before I know it she was dragging me with her away from the others.

"Don't worry! We'll figure something out!" I shouted to them before they walked away in disappointment.

"No! I'll figure something out!" Twilight corrected me.

"…Sorry."

* * *

After a few minutes of trotting, we finally settled a place to eat. A small restaurant, which Spike found for us. So that's why he disappeared.

"Oh guys, I don't know what to do," Twilight said as she slumped down on the table we're occupying. "Five of my best friends have really good reasons to go to the gala. Applejack or Rainbow Dash? Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy or Rarity? Oh who should go with me? And I'm sorry Star Blast…"

"Huh? Sorry for what?"

"I didn't even ask the three of you if you'd like to join me. Since you're from another world, I figure that you'd like to experience the Grand Galloping Gala."

"Oh no, it's okay Twilight." I waved off the apology, "We attended things similar to the triple G back in our world so I assure you its fine."

"Really? I mean, the Gala and the ones in your world could be different…"

"Trust me. You don't need to invite us. Also, it lessens the pressure."

She sighed, "You're right. Thank you for understanding." Her stomach grumbled for the fourth time today. She was so hungry that she even licked the petals that she peeled from the flowers earlier.

Finally, the waiter arrived. "Have you made your decision?"

"Oh yeah! I'll have the-" I was about to tell the waiter that I'd like an all green salad and a large Orange Fizzy juice.

"I CAN'T DECIDE!" Twilight suddenly yelled, causing every pony in the café to look at us. I shrunk back for a bit.

"Twilight, he just wants to take your order." Spike told her, pointing at his menu.

"Oh…I would love a daffodil and daisy sandwich."

The waiter turned to me and I told him my order.

"Do you have any rubies?" Spike asked the waiter. The waiter's face showed bemusement.

"No? Okay, I'll have the Hay Fries. Extra crispy!"

The waiter walked away with our orders. I hoped that it would only take seconds to make. I'm starving.

"What do you think guys?" Twilight asked.

"I think we have to try another restaurant! I mean, I love grass just fine but would it hurt anybody to offer some gem stones?" Spike commented.

"I think she's not talking about the food, Spike." I said to the dragon before turning my attention to Twilight. "Are you still on about the tickets?"

"How do I choose? And when I do choose, will the other four be mad at me? I mean, I could give up my ticket and give away two, but that would still leave three disappointed ponies! What if I-"

"Twilight! Stop!" I interrupted her, clopping my hooves to snap her out of it. "Will you please let go of the ticket situation at least while we're having our lunch?" The waiter came by and brought down our orders.

I sighed and calmed myself down. I pushed the sandwich in front of her, "Now dig in. I'm sure everything will be much clearer to you once you eat."

I was about to grab the fork with my magic and take a bite from my salad when I noticed the customers rushing inside the restaurant.

"Uh…Are you going to eat your food in the rain?" The waiter with a french accent asked, holding the door open.

Rain? What rain? It's pretty sunny outside.

"It's not raining." Twilight said, putting her sandwich down.

I looked up for a second, and then suddenly rain poured down. You know what's weird about this? It was dripping wet everywhere in Ponyville, except our very spot. How is this even possibl- oh right, they control the weather here. Then who's responsible for this?

"Hi there best friend forever I ever had!" We looked up and saw Rainbow Dash peering in a cloud. "Enjoying the sunny weather?" So it was her huh?

"Rainbow Dash, what are you doing?" Twilight asked, her face planted annoyance.

"What do you mean?" she said innocently, "I just saw the smartest, most generous pony about to get rained on. So I thought I'd kick a hole in the cloud and keep her dry so she can dine in peace, that's all!"

Oh, I think I know what she's trying to do, "Flattering, but are you trying to get extra consideration for the extra ticket by doing Twilight extra favors?" I suspected.

"What? No, no, no! Of course not!"

I thought so, "Uh huh…"

"Seriously, I'd do it for ANYpony!"

"Really?" I gestured the town where ponies were running around and seeking shelter. Rainbow just giggled nervously.

"Rainbow, I am not comfortable accepting unwanted favors," Twilight stated. "So I would appreciate it if you close up that rain cloud right now."

...Wrong choice of words, Twilight.

"Fine…" Rainbow groaned before closing the cloud like a zipper.

"That's better!" Twilight said in appreciation. She was about to take a bite on her sandwich when the rain finally poured down on us, turning her food into a soggy mess. Darn it and I was so close to finishing my lunch. Oh well, At least my juice was lidded.

"You know, you maybe a smart one but you need to assess the situation more clearly." I commented. Twilight just groaned in frustration while Spike couldn't help but snicker at the sight. I nudged the dragon to make him stop and avoid a cranky Twilight.

I caught sight of Rarity wearing a sophisticated looking saddle, where an umbrella was connected to it, "Oh Twilight, Star Blast. It's raining."

"No, really?" Twilight replied sarcastically.

"Come with me before you catch a cold!" Rarity dashed and dragged Twilight away from us going to, I think, Carousel Boutique. Spike and I looked at each other for a bit before following the two mares.

Come to think of it, I've never been inside Rarity's shop.

* * *

As Spike and I entered the boutique, Twilight dried herself off by shaking her body like a dog would do. Well the water that came from Twilight splattered around, that results a very drenched Rarity.

"Oops, sorry." Twilight apologized.

Rarity looked annoyed for a moment before changing her mood at a quick manner, "Oh no! It's quite all right! After all, we are the BEST of FRIENDS are we not? And do you know what friends do?"

Oh great, here we go again.

"Uh…" Twilight trailed.

"MAKE OVERS!" Rarity announced in a sing song voice before dragging a cover with her magic as she proceeded to do work on Twilight. I backed away, and I could only hear Twilight's struggles. Soon after, the cover was moved away that revealed Twilight wearing a multi-colored saddle.

"There! You look simply darling!" Rarity complimented.

"Uh…yeah! It is kinda pretty, isn't it?" Twilight examined.

Meanwhile, Spike opened his mouth and made a disgusted face. Rarity went over to him in a flash that made him gobble his claw accidentally, "And you! Oh, Spike. I have a dandy little outfit for the dashing gent!"

Rarity did the same treatment to Spike. What the heck is going on behind the covers anyway? Why do I hear power tools revving? When it was done, I finally saw Spike in a little outfit of his own.

Twilight giggled at the sight, "Oh, Spike."

"Now you just need a hat!" Rarity then placed a hat on Spike.

"Bleeh! I told you I don't want any part of this girly gala gunk! See you guys back in the library!" Spike said one last time before he ran away, disposing his clothes in a second.

Please don't notice me, Rarity. Please don't notice me, Rarity…

"Oh, who needs him anyway?" Rarity pulled a mirror so that Twilight can observe herself in awe. Honestly, she does look kind of cute in the outfit, the way she was tilting her head and the look of wonder etched in her face.

…What? Everything in this world looks cute. It's My Little Pony for pete's sake. It's like we're in a large and livelier version of a toy aisle in Target.

"This is all about YOU and how fabulous you'll look in the Grand Galloping Gala!"

"Wait, the Grand-?"

"Oh my goodness!" Rarity rushed over to a displayed outfit that looked exactly like Twilight's, "What a coincidence! I happen to have an ensemble of my own that matches yours to a T!"

Yeah right…

"We would be the belles of the ball, you and I! Everyone will be clamoring for our attention, all eyes will be on us! And then everyone will finally know the most beautiful, the most talented, and the most sophisticated pony in all of Equestria is Rarity the Unicorn!"

Twilight glared at her when she realized what she was doing.

"He he, and Twilight Sparkle of course…"

"I see what's going on. You're just buttering me up so that you can get the extra ticket! Well It's not gonna work!" Twilight removed her clothing and threw it away. "You're just going to wait for my decision just like everyone else."

Seeing that Twilight's marching over my direction, I opened the door so that we could finally exit the place. "Now if you'll excuse me, we've been trying all day just to get some lunch!"

"Did somepony say LUNCH?" Applejack suddenly appeared from the front door and pulled Twilight outside.

I sighed. Not this again. You know what? I'm not going to be surprised if Pinkie and Fluttershy also does something to convince Twilight to give them the extra ticket.

Giving one last look to a disappointed Rarity, I followed her outside and closed the door of the shop softly. I turned and saw a heap of Apple-inspired pastries in a wagon.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Twilight exclaimed.

"I got apple pies, apple fritters, apple tarts, apple dumplings, apple crisps, apple crumblers," The list goes on. Oh the sight was mouth watering. I am so famished… "a~nd apple brown Betty! The dessert kind, not my auntie, heh heh. What do you say there, BEST FRIEND?"

Twilight's stomach growled.

"Is that a yes?"

Twilight groaned, "No no! I still don't know who I'm giving the ticket to! Argh!" She then took off running in frustration.

"…so that's a maybe?"

I face hoofed in disbelief, "It's an obvious no Applejack." I sighed as I confronted her, "Why can't you guys be patient? It's not like the Gala's going to occur tonight! And it doesn't help that she's starving and all the favors she received from you guys didn't made it easier for her to decide! In fact, I'm sure she's less sure right now! "

With that, she looked down and sighed in disappointment. "I reckon you're right there, Blast…"

"You girls need to think about what you've done," I walked towards the cart and grabbed a slice of Apple Pie, "Now good day, Madame."

* * *

I ran into town and looked for Twilight. If there's one place where she would be in peace, it was the library no doubt about it. When I arrived in the Golden Oak, I heard the sound of singing coming from inside.

Opening the door, I saw Fluttershy flying around the room cleaning with her animals.

Like I said earlier, I'm not going to be surprised. And was she singing the theme song of the show? That's like, breaking the fourth wall.

"Fluttershy, not you too…" Twilight said in disbelief.

"Oh! Well, hello Twilight." FLuttershy greeted. "I hope you don't mind that we're all doing a little spring cleaning for you."

"But, it's summer. It's like ninety five degrees in here," I pointed.

"Oh…well, better late than never right?" Fluttershy blushed. "It was Angel's idea."

I looked at the bunny who was wearing a toque, mixing a salad at the coffee table. It waved at us.

"You're not doing this for the ticket, are you?" Twilight questioned.

"Oh no! I'm doing this because you're my very best friend." Fluttershy answered as she floated down. That's what the others also said.

"Right, Angel?" She glanced at the bunny that gave her a stern look. "Oh, yes. We are just doing this for the ticket." She admitted.

Something tells me that bunny's just a demon in disguise. Angel presented the salad he made to Twilight, whose stomach growled in hunger yet again.

"No no no!" She bellowed. "Well this was very nice of you and Angel, but I'm not accepting any extra favors until I've made my final decision. So I'm going to have to ask you to leave!"

She opened the door with her magic and showed them out when suddenly, "SURPRISE~!"

Pinkie, which I hoped would be the last of the mares to do favors, grabbed Twilight out and the crowd that she brought with her began to lift the purple pony up.

 _"Twilight is my bestest friend, whoopee! Whoopee!~"_ Pinkie sang.

"Pinkie…" I heard Twilight say while airborne.

 _"She's the cutest, smartest, all around best pony! Pony!~"_

"Pinkie."

 _"I bet if throw as super duper fun party! Party!~"_

"Pinkie!"

 _"She'll give her extra ticket to the gala to me!~"_

"PINKIE!"

Her outburst halted Pinkie's singing, even the ponies who were throwing her in mid air. Before she could fall, I used my magic to levitate her for a second so that the impact would be lessened. That results a huge headache.

"At least the others tried to be more subtle about the tickets." I stated.

"Wait, what ticket? What gala?" I heard one of the ponies asked. Damn it!

"Oh, you didn't know? Twilight has an extra ticket for the Grand Galloping Gala!" Pinkie answered that made everyone gasp.

"THE GRAND GALLOPING GALA?!"

And you consider yourself to be Twilight's best friend, Pinkie? You just made her problems ten times worse!

A huge crowd loomed around us and began to persuade, offer, and compliment Twilight. Spike arrived and pushed Twilight out of the crowd and I followed after them. But it was no use. Looks like the news have spread all over Ponyville.

We were surrounded by a ton of ponies now, and Twilight was in full panic mode. I need to help her get out of here. I decided to make a diversion.

I made an over-dramatic gasp, "Look everyone! A SHARK with WINGS!"

I pointed to the sky, and soon after all the ponies looked up. It actually worked!

"I insist the both of you to run now!" I whispered to them, and they obliged as they weaved out smoothly and got away.

When the ponies returned their attention to my direction, they began to wonder, "Hey! Where's Twilight?!"

"Over there!" I pointed to a random direction, and they wasted no time running towards it.

Okay, now that that's over, it's about time I give the girls a piece of my mind about this situation.

"Oh, pooey! Now I'm never gonna get the ticket with all these ponies!" Pinkie complained.

I glared at her, "Are you more concerned about the tickets than your best friend Twilight?" I let out a sigh of frustration. "Pinkie, I would like to talk to you for a sec."

"Aw! Why?"

"Just because!"

Fluttershy came out of the door, "What's with all the yelling? It's scaring my little animal friends…"

Thank goodness she's still here. From the distance I saw Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Rarity heading their way towards the library. If they came here to ask or talk about the tickets then they got another thing coming.

"Hey Star Blast! Have you seen Twilight?" Rainbow Dash demanded that made my blood boil.

"No, I have no clue about her whereabouts." I looked at each and every one of them. "And it's all thanks to you guys that she could be anywhere!"

"Huh?" Rainbow wondered.

I scoffed, "Really? You've spent the entire day just to convince, no, FORCE Twilight to give you the ticket! You guys even fought with each other at one point! Thanks to Pinkie here, almost all the ponies in Ponyville now knew about the ticket and at this very moment they're searching for Twilight! She could be hiding under bridges or wearing a disguise by now!"

They all looked down in shame.

"Twilight knows that the Grand Galloping Gala is important to each of you, and that just made it more difficult for her. She couldn't handle the pressure of upsetting you because you are all her friends. Why can't you guys understand that it's her choice to decide and not yours?"

There was a moment of silence as the mares let my words sink in their minds. I was breathing heavily, a mannerism of mine when I let out my frustrations.

"My goodness. I never thought we sounded so…greedy." Rarity responded. And she was the Element of Generosity.

"I agree. I feel like I'm the biggest jerk in Equestria." said Rainbow.

"And just so you know Star Blast, I didn't come here to bother Twilight about the tickets." Applejack informed me.

I looked at her, "You're not?"

She nodded, "I came here to apologize to her. I finally realized the burden we were giving her all day when you talked to me earlier."

"Is that so? Well, I think all of you owe Twilight an apology and not just Applejack, don't you think?" They all nodded in agreement. "Then go inside the library and wait for her."

* * *

An hour passed and still, Twilight hasn't arrived yet. I paced around the main room of the library while the mares waited in the balcony. What's taking her so long? Those villagers must be stubborn as hell.

I heard the door open up. Expecting to see Twilight, it was just Silver and Speedy returning.

"We're home!" Speedy bellowed. "And I hope you like carrot croquettes dude!"

"Honestly, it's the most delicious food I tasted here." Silver said.

"Glad to see you guys back this early." I told them.

"Sure thing! A~nd why is everyone here?" Speedy pointed to the mares.

"They're here to apologize to Twilight."

"About what?" Silver asked.

We heard a loud poof next to us, and Twilight appeared in a daze while Spike's whole being was charred.

"Warn me next time you're gonna do that!" said Spike as his body moved sluggishly.

"I don't even know that's going to happen!"

"Welcome back Twilight! I brought croquettes!" Speedy greeted.

"Food is the least of my concerns right now! Help me lock this house down!"

"What?"

Twilight and Spike rushed around the house in amazing speed, locking the doors and turning the lights off. They returned down the main room and breathed a sigh of relief. So she didn't notice the others? With the vision I had, I managed to find the light switch and flicked it on. In the position Twilight's in right now, she had the perfect view of the mares.

She screamed in frustration, "I can't decide! I just can't decide! It's important to all of you and I just can't stand to disappoint any of you and giving me gifts and doing me favors won't make any difference because you're all my friends! I want to make you all happy but I can't! I just can't!"

I walked over to her. "Don't worry, Twilight. They're not here to bother you about the ticket."

She looked up, "They're not?"

Applejack marched forward, "Twilight, sugar, I didn't mean to put so much pressure on you. And if it helps, I don't want the ticket anymore. You can give it to somepony else. I won't be a bother, I promise."

"Me too," This time it was Fluttershy. "I feel just so awful that I made you feel so awful."

"And me too! It's no fun upsetting your friends!" Pinkie declared.

"Twilight, it was unfair of me to force you as I did." Rarity apologized.

"YES! THAT MEANS THE TICKET IS MINE!" Rainbow chanted.

I cleared my throat and we all glared at her. "Rainbow…"

"…You know, I haven't perfected my signature moves for the Wonderbolts anyway. I don't need the ticket either."

"We all got so gung ho about going at the gala, that we couldn't see how un-gung ho we were making you…" Applejack admitted.

Now that everyone got the chance to apologize, I just couldn't help but smirk triumphantly.

Twilight finally made a smile, "Spike, take down a note."

Spike got his paper and quill from… out of nowhere and got ready to scratch down.

"Dear Princess Celestia, I've learned that one of the joys of friendship is sharing your blessings. But if there's not enough blessings to go around, having more than you friends can make you feel pretty awful," with her magic, she circled it around us so that everyone could see. "So, though I appreciate the invitation, I would be returning both tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala."

"WHAT?!" they exclaimed. I thought Twilight's decision was the right thing to do.

"If my friends can't all go, I don't want to go either."

"Twilight, are you sure about that?" Silver asked.

She nodded confidently, "I've made my decision. You can send the letter now Spike."

He did what he was told, opening the window and blowing away the letter and the tickets with his flame.

"Now you won't get to go to the gala either…" Fluttershy said.

"It's okay, girls." Twilight smiled reassuringly. "I couldn't possibly enjoy myself without my best friends there with me."

I chuckled at her statement. Couldn't have said it better myself.

The mares all went up and group hugged Twilight. Being the opposite gender, the three of us just stayed away including Spike. Speaking of, he continued to make a disgusted face and it looked like he was about to throw up.

"You can't handle a least bit of sentiment, can you?" I questioned him, but he continued to make this gagging sounds. "Hey Spike, are you okay?"

He suddenly burped up his flame that I barely dodged. A letter from the Princess was formed.

"A letter from the Princess? That was fast!" Twilight said.

Spike opened the letter and began to read. " _My faithful student Twilight, why didn't you just say so in the first place?_ "

Something shiny popped out, and I couldn't help but raise my brow in surprise.

"Hey look! Nine tickets!" Spike cried. Nine? That means the Princess invited us too?

"Now we can ALL go!" Twilight said joyfully as every pony cheered.

We were interrupted by Twilight's stomach growling again. Rarity walked up to her. "Allow us to treat you to dinner!"

They all walked out of the door, grabbing their tickets on the way including mine. I'm exhausted so I think I'm not going join them for dinner. Besides, Speedy brought croquettes home.

"How come I don't get a ticket for the gala?" Spike complained.

"Wait, I thought you didn't want to go?"

When Spike was about to say something, he burped up another letter.

" _And one for you, Spike._ " He read then another ticket popped out that made him jump around in excitement.

I gave him a look that stopped him. Oh, if only I could cross my arms.

"I mean, GROSS! I have to go too?"

I shook my head. "Just go along and have fun." I gave Spike a wink before he followed after the girls.

Now that I noticed, even those two joined the mares so I was the only one left in the library. Better entertain myself with a book. I walked towards the table where the croquettes were brought down so I that I could grab a piece.

"Hey Star Blast?" I heard Twilight calling me from the door, behind her were the others. "Aren't you going to join us?"

"It's free cupcakes, dude! How could you reject free food?" Speedy said.

"I don't know. I usually settle in this kind of time." I looked at them.

"Aw, come on! We have to celebrate together as friends! Please?" Twilight did this pleading look that every mare else copied.

Oh those puppy eyes. It made me roll my eyes playfully and eventually give in, "Oh all right."

They all cheered and waited for me outside the library. Better reward myself with something sweet after all the things that happened today.

* * *

When we finished a good round of desserts, we came back in the library around nine. The three of us bid Twilight and Spike a good night's rest before going into our room. I lay in my bed, reading the fourth Daring Do book to put myself to sleep while the two ate the croquettes we left earlier.

"You know what bothers me?" Speedy said in a mouth full.

Silver looked at him questioningly while I perked up my ears, not taking my eyes off the book.

"Why did the Princess only invited Twilight and just gave her an extra ticket?"

"Well Twilight IS her pupil so it's pretty obvious that she'll be invited." Silver said.

"I really feel like the Princess was trolling. I mean, we, The Elements of Harmony, saved the kingdom and she didn't invite us?"

"Maybe it slipped out of her mind?"

I heard Speedy hum, "Or! It's part of her friendship lesson! That's got to be it! Why the hell would the Princess give her only one extra ticket when she knew that her student has eight friends?"

You know, I actually agreed to Speedy's presumption.

"So it's like a test of some sort?" Silver asked.

"I think so?"

I decided to join in the conversation, "Since when did you become the observer, Lemuel?"

"Uh…ever since I became friends with you?"

I chuckled, "Is that so?"

"And~ ever since I started to watch react videos on YouTube."

"Now there's a disclosure I actually believe." Silver commented.

"At least I watch different videos all the time! Unlike you who watches the 2014 NBA Finals every day!"

"Something about that highlight makes me complete! You can't blame me!"

"Keep it down!" I shushed them in a harsh whisper. "You're going to wake up everyone in Ponyville!"

The two stayed silent as they glared at each other.

I sighed, "After you guys are done eating, kindly turn the lights off."

"Aye aye, Captain!"

Finally, I closed the book I was reading, placing it on the desk near me with my magic and flopped down on my bed, closing my eyes.

"Hey Hassan…"

"What is it?"

"Did you know that Rarity's planning to marry Princess Celestia's nephew?"

"SHE'S GONNA WHAT NOW?"

Oh god, someone please knock me out cold so I can get some shut eye.

* * *

 _Author's note!_

 _So this is pretty late for me to update. I finished this about a week ago (week ago! Buck with us and then we tweakin oh!) and my school life just got in the way._

 _I'm thinking to keep this kind of Bronies react in the end of every chapter._

 _Oh! and if you guys have Equestria Amino in your phones, follow me! My name there is still I Am Luminous._

 _As always, Fav it! Follow it! Review and tell me what you think! **LUMINOUS FADING AWAY...**_

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING BUT THE THREE OC'S**


	8. Exhausted by Pride

**_The Misadventures of Ponified Friends_**

 _ **Chapter 7: Exhausted by Pride (Applebuck Season)**_

* * *

These past few days I had been doing a lot of reading that concerned Equine races here in this world, because there's still this mystery that kept lingering in my mind.

Why did I become a Unicorn? Why did Lemuel become a Pegasus and Hassan transforming into a normal pony? Or rather, why did we become ponies in the first place? Ugh, so many questions left unanswered. Is it wrong to be humans here? There's freaking monsters, creatures and even two god-like ponies hanging all over the place so why not?

So at one point in this world's history, all three races: the Earth ponies, Unicorns and Pegasi were separated until they formed an alliance, hence the foundation of Equestria.

Based from what I read, the Earth Ponies are physically stronger than the Pegasi and Unicorns. They possess a wide range of capabilities like featuring their strength while showing little to no fatigue at all and longer stamina. Huh, I guess that explains why Hassan's an Earth Pony. That man can play a game of basketball for 40 straight minutes, and of course, he is stronger, bigger and taller than Lemuel and I.

And speaking of Hassan, he was sick and drenched in cold sweat, shivering under his bed covers. He rarely gets ill and I wondered what caused him to be so.

"Dude, I got to get to work…" said by a very ill Silver. He tried to get up for the tenth time this day, and his stubbornness was getting on my nerves.

"For the last time, you need to rest!" with my magic, I pushed him back down gently and covered him in the bed sheets. "You are, most definitely, not going to work in that condition. You need at least a week to recover."

Silver groaned, "That long?"

"Yes. Just to make sure that you're healthy enough to get back out there again."

"But, who's gonna help Applejack in harvesting the apples?"

"I'm sure she and Big Macintosh can handle it, so don't worry. You Earth Ponies are tough!"

Heaving a defeated sigh, Silver lay down gently on the bed and closed his eyes to rest. I reminded myself to make him some soup and buy him medicine later this afternoon.

Now, where was I?

Oh yeah. I'm done with the Earth Pony history, and right next is all about Unicorns. Finally, gonna need to learn about my Equine transformation. I'm surprised Twilight hasn't thought me this yet. So, when Unicorns cast magic, a colored aura forms around the horns and the objects affecti-HUH?!

"Wh-why i-is everyth-thi-thing sh-sha-shak-king?!"

"STAMPEDE! EVERY PONY SAVE YOURSELVES!" I heard Lemuel cry outside.

"S-stam-pe-pede?!"

When I was about to look out the window, a certain yellow Pegasus crashed into it, his whole being flat in a cartoonish way like a pancake. Speedy's body slid down the window.

"What the hell's going on out there?" Silver asked, and boy he did not look good. His face turned green and he looked like he was about to vomit. He just got sick ten times worse with all this shaking.

Acting quickly, I focused on the trash can near the door way and levitated it next to Silver. Silver quickly grabbed a hold of the can and filled it up with his…barf. I heard the window slide open and then came inside a disheveled looking Speedy.

"If you're planning to go outside then don't even think about it!" Speedy told me as he crawled towards me dramatically.

"Get up first! You just crashed face first to a window! I'm glad that it didn't shatter!" I helped him up, "What the hell's going on out there?!"

"A stampede, man! If it gets here, they will totally destroy the whole town!"

"A stampede of what? Bulls? Rhinos? MONSTERS?!" Silver exclaimed, setting down the trash can.

Speedy turned to him, "Neither of those things! And you're not gonna believe it!"

"Then freaking tell us already!"

Speedy took a deep breath. "It's a stampede of COWS!"

I did a double take, "What did you say?"

"A STAMPEDE of COWS!" He repeated.

"Don't play jokes on us, Lem." Silver said as he glared at the yellow Pegasus in annoyance before coughing. "If only I'm not sick today, you're gonna receive a rabbit punch from me I swear on my mum."

"I'm serious! I couldn't believe it either!"

"How can those cows create an earthquake this strong?" I asked in disbelief. "It's completely unrealistic."

"I'm telling the truth dude!" Speedy then dragged me by pulling my head to the window that made me yelp in pain and surprise. "Look over the fields towards the direction of Sweet Apples!"

I squinted my eyes, focusing my vision to the direction he was pointing. I haven't seen the stampede of cows yet, but every pony in Ponyville was in panic mode as they ran around all over the place while some locked themselves inside their homes.

The shaking began to grow stronger, and that's when I finally caught sight of the cows, and boy, those are the LARGEST cows I've seen! They might be even bigger than us ponies!

"Damn, you're right."

"I told you!"

I started to trot my way towards the door, "Someone needs their help."

"Wait, are you gonna go out there?!" Speedy asked me in incredulity. "Are you trying to make a death wish!?"

"Then what do you suggest I do?" I shot back.

"We wait for someone to herd them off! Like a cowboy or something!" Speedy looked out the window again.

"Is there even a cowboy here?" I questioned.

"Well, actually…" I heard Silver moaning, clenching the trash can as his face turned into a shade of green. Blegh, the smell was radiating. What did he eat? "We do know a certain orange pony who is a cowgirl."

"Applejack?" I wondered.

"Applejack!" Speedy cried happily, "She's already taking care of the stampede!"

"Really?" I rushed right next to him and looked out again. True, the orange mare alongside her dog (I recall that its name is Weenona) were cornering the cows in a straight line, trying to lure the stampede. We saw her lassoing the cow in front and pulled it to the other direction, avoiding the town.

"She did it! Applejack saved Ponyville!" Speedy exclaimed happily as he flew around the room.

"Ugh, great. The shaking finally stopped." Silver said gladly as he brought down the barf-reeking trash can. "Now be a good boy and let me sleep in peace, Lem."

"Don't worry, dude. I'm gonna leave anyway." Speedy informed.

"I'll come along with you. I need to check if everybody's alright." I told him.

"Sure thing. So do you want me to fly you down or are we gonna climb down the stairs together?"

"…I'll take the stairs."

"Are you sure? Flying you down will be much faster you know."

Does it really matter what path I was going to take? I sighed, "Fine. But I don't want you to pull off any tricks."

"What is with you guys always thinking that I'm gonna pull of a prank or stir up trouble?" Speedy wondered.

"Bruh, I've known you for five years and I still have trust issues with you." Silver admitted under his blanket.

"Wow. That hurts right in the kokoro, you know?" Speedy deadpanned.

I rolled my eyes impatiently. "Okay, enough with that and let's get this over with Lem."

"You got it boss!" He flew up and hovered above me before hooking his hooves around my body. "Now hold on tight!"

So we quickly flew out in a jiffy and I instructed Speedy to bring me down near Twilight, Rarity and Mayor Mare, who looked like they were having a conversation while Pinkie was yelling, "Ride 'em cow pony!" galloping around.

As we landed, we quickly trotted towards the group.

"Oh Applejack was just...just…" I heard Mayor Mare tried to come up with a praise.

"Apple-tastic!" Pinkie Pie finished, then falling down from her upside-down position in the air. How did she do that? I have no idea. Probably some kind of effect that you could see on the TV screen.

"Exactly!" The Mayor agreed with a smile. "We must do something to thank Applejack for single-hoofedly saving the town."

"I know!" Pinkie began excitedly.

"A PARTY!" Speedy declared at the same time as Pinkie Pie. "Jinx!"

"Oh, good morning Star Blast," Twilight and the others greeted me. "Did the stampede wake you up?"

"Actually I was awake long before the shaking," I answered. "How's every pony?"

"The citizens of Ponyville are all alright, thank Celestia." The Mayor announced.

"Well not every pony…" Speedy butted in.

Twilight gave him a questioning look, "What are you saying Speedy?"

"Silver's been puking non-stop up there in the library," He informed, earning some worried and disgusted looks. "Our room's under quarantine, by the way."

I glared at him before facing the others, "He's just having a bad case of the flu." I think…

"That sounds dreadful! Poor Silver." Rarity exclaimed.

"Puking non-stop? Bad case of the flu? We need to bring him to the hospital!" Twilight suggested.

"I think he's just like that because of the commotion earlier. Give him medicine and a few days of rest, he'll be right as rain." I reassured. "That reminds me, do you have any pharmacies around here? He needs medicine, stat."

"Well…I have some herbal teas back at my home. I wouldn't mind bringing them over the library for Silver." Fluttershy offered. "Will those work?"

I smiled at the butter-colored Pegasus, "They'll work perfectly. Thank you, Fluttershy."

She smiled back, "Anything for a friend."

And the day passed by in a flash just like that, and soon, a week. It actually took Pinkie a week to come up with a plan of how the celebration should look like, with the help of Twilight and Rarity of course. About Hassan's condition, it also took him a week to recover. His sickness was worse than I thought. Twilight was right. We should have brought him to the hospital, but thank God he's okay now thanks to the medicines I bought and some of Fluttershy's medicinal tea.

The day began where every pony was busy decorating the whole place, most especially Town Square. Twilight asked me if I could check the finishing touches while she readied for her speech. So that's why she has those index cards.

"Okay, is everything all set? We all ready?" I rose as I walked.

"Just one last thing!" Rarity picked up the huge banner full of apple designs then tying it up top the Town Hall. "Now we're ready!"

"Okay…" I checked it off in Twilight's checklist. "To make this celebration complete, is Applejack all set?"

"Actually, I haven't seen her all week." Rainbow Dash notified as she landed next to Rarity and I.

"Not since the stampede!" Pinkie added when she joined in.

"Really? That's weird…" I wondered.

"But she'll be here for sure. Applejack is NEVER late!" Rainbow proclaimed. Why do I have a feeling that something's off?

"I hope so."

Every pony in town gathered in front of the podium in Town Hall. Twilight took her place on the stage, arranging her index cards neatly before clearing her throat.

"Welcome every pony! Today, we are here to honor a pony we can always count on to help in matters great and small," Twilight flipped to the next index card. "A pony whose contributions to-"

"Did you see Applejack's slick moves out there?!" Rainbow took Twilight's place in the stage. "WHAT an ATHLETE! This week, she's gonna help me with my new flying trick and I know that it's gonna be so AWESOME!"

"EXACTLY!" Twilight regained control as she pushed Rainbow Dash off the stage.

"HAH! FANGIRL ALERT!" I heard Speedy Glee somewhere around the area.

"That man does not waste an opportunity, does he?" Silver said next to me in annoyance. I just bobbed my head and focused back to Twilight's speech. Well, she was about to continue but someone cut in again. This time though it was Pinkie Pie.

"This week, I get to run Sugarcube Corner for the first time!" Pinkie announced.

I shook my head in confusion, "What does that have to do with Applejack?"

Pinkie blinked for moment, "OH! Applejack, one of the best bakers EVER, is gonna help me! Applejack makes everything great so free samples for everypony!" This earned her a huge round of cheers.

"YEAH! FREE DIABETES!" Every pony stopped and glared at Speedy. "…SORRY!"

"Okay…" Twilight trailed. "Now, if I could just make a point without being inter-"

"Twilight?" I saw Fluttershy sprout up in the stage.

"-rupted." She finished in annoyance before letting Fluttershy continue.

"Twilight, I'm so sorry but I just wanted to mention that Applejack's also helping me this week with the official bunny census, where we count all the baby bunnies that were born this season. She's gonna help gather them with her wonderful herding skills."

"AWW~!"

"SHUT UP!" Every pony yelled.

"I'M SORRY EVERYPONY! ROCK AND ROLL TO THE WORLD!"

I couldn't help but feel disappointed at his immaturity. Then again, he's always like that. Now back to the stage, Twilight gave Fluttershy a look that made her backaway slightly. "Anyone?" Twilight looked over the crowd, expecting someone to interrupt again. "No?"

"It's okay now, Twilight. Carry on." I told her.

"Well then, as I was trying to say-" She looked over Mayor Mare, clear anticipation can be seen in her expression. And Twilight finally gave in. "ARGH! Never mind!"

I watched as Twilight stomped her way down the stage heading to my direction, then taking a seat next to me and Silver. Normally, I would just laugh this kind of situation off, but after seeing her disappointed look, I couldn't help but feel sorry. Judging by how thick those index cards were, it was obvious that she really worked hard on those.

Mayor Mare cleared her throat before speaking, "And so, with no further ado, it is my privilege to give the Prize Pony of Ponyville Award," She pointed to the big trophy beside her, "To our beloved guest of honor. A pony with the utmost trustworthiness, reliability, and integrity. Ponyville's most capable and dependable friend, Applejack!"

We all cheered as the curtains opened. But Applejack was nowhere in sight. The cheers were then replaced by startled gasps.

"Yeah way to go Applejack! That was aweso-" Spike realized the situation as he stopped and blushed.

Mayor Mare cleared her throat, followed by a moment of silence.

"AWKWARD!~"

Yeah, we know Lem.

"I'm here! I'm here!" We turned our heads to see Applejack finally arriving with two buckets full of apples. The fruits fell down one by one as she bumped into every pony she was passing by. "Sorry I'm late-whoa. I was just-did I get your tail?"

Now that we could see her up close, she looks…tired for some reason. Those bags under her eyes were a dead giveaway. Even so, she took her place in the stage. "Miss Mare, thank ya'll kindly for this here, uh, award thingy…" She looked at the trophy as she yawned. "It's so bright and shiny and…heh heh, I sure do look funny…"

Applejack proceeded to play with her reflection sluggishly, with Pinkie joining her. Twilight once again walked up the stage.

"Okay, well, thank you Applejack for saving us from that scary stampede! And always being there for everypony! " Twilight said happily.

"Yeah…I like helpin' the pony folks and-" Applejack yawned again, "and stuff…"

She closed her eyes for a moment, and we began to hear her snoring. Okay, I think she just fell asleep out of exhaustion. Now, this made me curious.

Applejack suddenly shook herself awake, "Wha?! Oh yeah, uh, thanks!" She grabbed the trophy with her teeth and dragged it down the stage, out of the crowd, until she was out of our sight. Well that escalated quickly.

"Was it just me, or did Applejack seems a little…?" Twilight began.

"Tired?" said Rainbow Dash.

"Dizzy?" Fluttershy offered.

"Messy?" We all looked at Rarity. "Well, did you see her MANE?"

"She seem fine to me! Woo-woo!" Pinkie concluded.

Twilight was not convinced, and so was I. I wondered what Applejack did to be tired like this.

"I've had that look before, and I believe that she's lacking sleep for some odd reason." I stated my opinion in the matter.

"Then we need to find out what is that reason," Twilight walked over to me. "Any ideas?"

"No clue." I said as I shook my head. I noticed Silver looking troubled from a thought. "Hey, what's your problem?"

"I don't know man, but I feel like I've forgotten something really important from last week…" he responded. "I can't put my finger on it…"

"It'll come eventually. Now let's go and check what Applejack's been doing."

* * *

Only I, Twilight and Silver had the time to see Applejack's situation here in Sweet Apple Acres. We looked for her inside, and we finally saw her bucking apple trees groggily.

"What on earth is that pony doing?" Twilight asked worriedly. Applejack tried to buck an apple tree, but she hit the bucket full of apples instead, then falling back to sleep momentarily.

"She's definitely tired," I observed. "How long has she been doing this?"

"Oh shoot! I remember now!" Silver suddenly cried out. "It's Applebuck Season!"

Twilight and I looked at him, "Apple-what season?"

"Applebuck Season. It's what the Apple's call their harvesting time."

I suddenly got a gist, "Say, do you guys think she's been doing this all by herself since last week?"

"There's only one way to find out." Twilight walked towards Applejack, who once again, began sleeping. "Hey Applejack!"

No response.

"Applejack?!"

No movements. Twilight got impatient that she teleported her way next to the sleeping pony.

"Applejack… APPLEJACK!"

"Huh?" Applejack shook her head. "Oh, howdy Twilight."

"What is all this?" Twilight demanded.

"It's Applebuck season." AJ answered as she walked towards to the next apple tree.

"I see…but why are you doing it alone?"

"Cause Big Macintosh hurt himself and Silver Spur didn't show up at all this week."

Oh, she didn't know that he was sick? I guess that's a mistake on my part. Informing her never crossed my mind. And her brother's also injured? Why didn't she tell us?

"What about all those relatives I met when I first came to Ponyville?" Twilight asked as she followed Applejack around. I just realized something. Where are those ponies?

"They were just here for the Apple family reunion." Oh yeah, that. "They actually live all over Equestria and busy harvesting their own orchards. So…I'm on my own."

Twilight stood her ground after teleporting in front of Applejack.

"Which means I should REALLY get back to work. Ahem…Hint hint? Get back to work?"

Twilight glared at her for a moment before moving aside, "Fine…"

"Uh…Could you step aside Twilight?"

"I just did. Applejack, you don't look so good."

"Eh? Don't any of you three worry none. I'm just fine and dandy."

Wow, I've never seen anyone this tired before. This is WAY too unhealthy for her if she keeps this up. Applejack continued her bucking ways when Twilight finally left her alone.

"Applejack sure is something." She said.

"She really needs some help." I began.

"I'll go and talk to her." Silver began walking towards Applejack. "Hey, AJ."

"What?" She tried to find the source of the voice. "Oh howdy, Silver…Haven't seen you in a while…"

"I'm sorry. I was actually sick this whole week so I never got the time to come back here."

"Oh that's mighty awful…" Applejack yawned.

"Good news, I'm well and healthy now! So I'm going to help you harvest the apples from this point on okay?"

"HELP?" Applejack turned to him. "No WAY, no HOW!"

Wait. What?

Silver wore a bewildered look the same as I did. "What are you saying? I work here remember?"

"Well you can go home and rest, being sick and all so let me handle the bucking…" Applejack walked away, leaving a stunned stallion. So Applejack likes to help ponies but she doesn't want ponies to help her? What kind of pride is she carrying?

"But…I just told you that I'm alright. And there's no way that you can buck all the apple trees in an orchard this big!" Silver followed and tried to talk some sense to Applejack. Okay they're getting too far for our hearing so I guess we should follow them.

"Is THAT a CHALLENGE?!" Applejack glared at Silver face to face.

"I'm not challenging! I'm just saying that you need some help! Look at you! You're all groggy and messy! When was the last time you got a good night's sleep?"

"Is that so? Well, I'm gonna PROVE to you that I can do it!" Applejack declared stubbornly. "Now, if you'll EXCUSE me, I got apples to buck!"

We all watched Applejack walking away; she did not even turn back. Things just got a whole lot worse.

"This will not end well for her…" I heard Twilight mutter. I agreed.

I walked towards my friend who kept staring at Applejack's retreating form. "You all right?"

He sighed. "I think it will take a miracle to change her mind at this stage."

"Let's leave her be and respect her decision at the moment. If worse come to worse, then it's our time to intervene."

"I'm afraid you might say that."

* * *

A large crash in the room stirred me awake. I shook off the sleepiness in me before witnessing Silver creeping towards the door.

"Hassan? Why are you up this early?" I asked him, my voice cracking in the early morning.

"I'm sorry, Rob. I just can't stand her doing all the work by herself."

Even at this hour, my mind already knew what he was intending to do, "Wait, are you going to-"

"I'm going to harvest the apples secretly. Wish me good luck that she does not find out about it!" He whispered, trying not to wake Speedy up.

"Alright then, good luck."

"Thanks!" he said one last time before exiting the door.

I looked at the clock that said 4.

…four more hours of sleep then I'm good to start the day.

.

.

.

.

.

Great. Now I can't sleep. Thanks a lot, Hassan.

* * *

I never thought that reading in this library's balcony can be so relaxing. I got the books I needed for my lessons and also the History of Equestria book that I've been reading for a while now. I need a break from all the Daring Do's.

I heard someone heading towards the balcony. The door opened and Twilight stepped out.

"Hey, Star Blast. What are you reading?" She asked.

"Oh, some books I need for a research." I answered as I moved over so that she can sit.

"A research for what? A teleportation spell so that you can go back to your world?"

I shook my head. "Nah. Already seen one of those, and I believe that it's WAY past any pony's knowledge and capabilities. Also, the prophecy said that we'll be protectors here in Equestria. I figured that once we finished our destiny, I guess only then that we can go back home."

"True…You must miss your families, huh?"

"We think about them a lot. Hassan and I are actually the only children in our families. My Mom and Dad went out of town for a vacation weeks ago, and I'm guessing they're home by now while Hassan's parents are left back in his home country and he was taken care of by his Aunt. Lemuel, by the way, lives in a jolly household. They're probably devastated at his disappearance, especially his sister, Ezra."

"Ezra? That's a pretty unique name."

"Oh if only you can meet her. She's like the genderbent version of Speedy." I sighed. "I just wish that we can get our jobs done here sooner. So, what are you asking again?"

"I asked, what are you reading?"

"Equestrian History, specifically the races of ponies. I'm trying to find out why I turned into a Unicorn other than another type of pony."

"Hmm…That's interesting. By the way, your kind are called 'humans' right? I'm still amazed that you were able to evolve your world without the use of magic. It's hard for me to imagine that you were once primates."

I nodded. "It's either evolution or a certain God created us. And all we needed was intelligence, creativity, hard work and determination to modernize our technology. So anyways, I think the reaso-" wait, I'm hearing a distinct scream, and it's nearing…

I was cut off mid-sentence when I heard a loud crash behind me. I turned around and saw Rainbow Dash hanging limply in the railing.

"Uh…Can we help you?" Twilight asked.

Rainbow lifted her head, "I think somepony else needs your help…"

"Applejack?"

"Yup." Rainbow said lastly before closing her eyes. I think she's knocked out. I took her off the railing with my magic as I placed her gently next to Twilight and I.

"What the heck did Applejack do to make Rainbow Dash disoriented?" I wondered.

"Back at the celebration yesterday, Rainbow Dash mentioned that Applejack's helping her out in her stunts." Twilight answered before she stood up. "I'm guessing that Applejack had done a mistake and this was the result."

"Sheesh. Then someone really needs to stop her."

"Let's pay her another visit in Sweet Apple Acres…"

And so, we walked out.

* * *

As we tried to find Applejack, we noticed Silver Spur hiding behind a tree, observing something. I whistled to grab his attention, but when he turned he shushed us down.

"Don't be so loud! She might hear you!" He whispered harshly.

"Who?" Twilight asked.

Silver beckoned us to join him. We did, and the one he was observing was none other than Applejack. She bucked an apple tree, and when she picked up an apple with her teeth she accidentally hit herself in the back of her head by a branch that got her stunned.

"Okay she has gone far enough." Twilight stomped her way towards Applejack. "Applejack, can we talk?"

Applejack flipped her ear repeatedly and squinted. "CAN BEES SQUAWK? I DON'T THINK SO!"

Great, now she can't even hear properly. And the way her head had hit the branch just added her suffering.

"No, can we TALK?" Twilight repeated.

"TWENTY STALKS? BEAN OR CELERY?"

"NO! I NEED to TALK to YOU!"

"YOU NEED TO WALK TO THE ZOO? WELL WHO'S STOPPING YOU?"

"Oh this is getting ridiculous!" Silver gave in as he unveiled himself. "SHE SAID SHE NEEDS TO TALK TO YOU!"

I winced at how loud his voice was. Man, my ear drums are ringing.

"OH! THEN WHY DIDN'T SHE SAY SO?" she faced Twilight. "WHAT YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT?"

"Rainbow Dash dropped in to see me today!" Twilight informed loudly.

"THAT'S QUITE NEIGHBORLY OF HER!"

"Yes! Except that she crashed onto my balcony after you launched her into the air!"

"Wait, Applejack launched her into the air?" Silver asked me.

I just shrugged, "They were doing some stunts and Applejack helped out in that condition."

"Oh…Is Rainbow Dash alright?"

"She's unconscious, but she will be."

"Oh yeah…" I heard Applejack before facing down, her tone finally soft. "I wasn't feeling quite myself this morning."

"Because you're working too hard and you NEED HELP!"

"WHAT? KELP? I don't eat kelp! I don't even like seaweed!"

"HELP! YOU NEED HELP!" Twilight stressed.

"Nothin' doin' Twilight! I'm gonna prove to you, to EVERYPONY, that I can do this on my own!" she was hit by the tree branch again, making her a complete daze. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go help Pinkie Pie!"

Twilight groaned in frustration as she watched Applejack trot away. Silver and I walked to her.

"Don't worry, Twilight. You've done your best." I told her. "We should go home and get some rest."

"But…I can't rest until I know she stops working."

"I can try and talk it out with her the next time we see her so don't worry. For now, let's just leave her be."

Twilight hesitated for a moment before sighing, "Fine…"

Twilight and I walked back to the library while Silver continued to buck apple trees, taking advantage of Applejack's disappearance.

* * *

As we passed by Sugarcube Corner, I suddenly smelled something spoiled. Oh-Oh my god, what is this STENCH?! I quickly blocked my nose and I urged to go far away from here as possible.

"What is Pinkie Pie baking in Sugarcube?" Twilight asked in disgust.

I already knew that Applejack had done something again, but before I could tell Twilight my gist, Spike came running in full panic.

"TWILIGHT! BLAST!"

"What! What is it?!" Twilight looked flustered.

"Come quick! A bunch ponies suddenly got sick and were rushed in the clinic!"

We quickly raced down towards a tent where we saw a nurse pony waiting.

"We came as soon as we heard!" Twilight said to the nurse. I could already hear a bunch of ponies moaning in pain from inside.

"Thank you Twilight. We need all the help we can get." The nurse opened the curtains, revealing the patients groaning, moaning and vomiting in buckets with green faces.

"What happened?" I asked the nurse.

"It was a mishap on some of the baked goods." The nurse pony answered.

"Not baked goods…baked BADS." Pinkie's voice suddenly cut in. I looked at her and she suddenly started vomiting.

Twilight grimaced, afterwards her face became stern. "Applejack!"

"May I see a sample?" I requested whilst wincing.

"Oh, uh…It's around here somewhere…" The nurse tried looking for it.

I heard munching noises beside me, and Spike was eating a very suspicious looking muffin.

"Uh…Spike?" I called for him.

He turned to me. "Yeah?"

"Can I have that muffin for a moment?"

"Sure!" He handed me another muffin. "You want one?"

I smiled awkwardly as I shook my head. "No thank you."

I observed the thing intently, and I found out that the foundation had no proper ingredients for a muffin. It smells so sour, and the inside was so mushy and green. A worm suddenly popped out.

This isn't a muffin.

This is…death.

"Twilight, tend to these ponies for a while. I'm gonna go back to Applejack's and end this madness." I informed her as I got ready.

She nodded. "Good luck."

But before I could depart, I heard someone calling my name. This voice…Lemuel?!

"Dude…" I looked for him inside, and I saw him reaching out his hoof towards me. I walked up to him.

"So you ate one of the muffins?" I asked him.

He nodded. "I was just having a break…what did I do to deserve this…?"

"You'll be fine. Try vomiting so that the muffin will be out of your system…"

He shook his head vigorously. "I don't wanna! I never puked in my whole life!"

"Seriously? Not even once when you were a baby?"

"Yuh-huh! I don't wanna!"

I hummed. "Hey Speedy…"

He raised a brow, and in a flash, I hoofed him in his solar plexus. His eyes almost popped out of its sockets, and he blocked his mouth with a hoof. Oh come on man, that is disgusting… just let it out. I didn't punch you without a reason.

"I'm sorry if I have to do that, but I need to leave like, right now." I apologized to him before rushing out. Next stop: Sweet Apple Acres.

* * *

I shook my head when I saw Applejack sleeping while she was upside down and attached to a cart. It looked like she was loading up the huge bucket.

"Applejack, we need to talk." I declared that made her awake.

"WHA-HUH? Oh, it's you Blast." She yawned. "I know what you're gonna say, but the answer is still NO."

"Not to upset your applecart, no pun intended, but YOU need help!"

"Hardy har," she struggled to get back on track. "and NO I DON'T!"

I groaned, "Just look at the situation you're in! You clearly need help!"

"Help? No THANKS!"

Okay, her stubbornness is starting to tick me off. I heaved a sigh as I watched Applejack struggle her way out of the applecart, and she managed to do so.

"I'll prove…that THIS Apple…can handle THESE apples!"

I face hoofed.

"Come on apples! Fall off!"

"AJ, do you even realize that you're beating a dead tree?" I said bluntly.

She looked up and noticed. "I-I knew that." She began to walk away.

How long do you think you can keep this up? You're body will give in eventually! I quickly followed her.

"AJ, I have something else to talk to you about. I just came back from Ponyville Urgent Care, and the ponies that ate the muffins you baked were-"

"You know what, Star Blast? I'm a little busy to get lectured right now…"

"But if you just let us, your friends, help-"

"Ugh! No no NO! How many times do I got to say it?! I don't need no help from NOPONY!"

"That girl's as stubborn as a freaking mule…" I muttered.

I heard a sound of a donkey behind me.

"Oh, uh I-I'm sorry I didn't mean to-"

"Don't worry. No offense taken."

* * *

As I walked through town, I kept trying to remember what the other ponies had said in the celebration yesterday. Rainbow Dash's stunts, didn't work out. Helping Pinkie Pie in baking almost caused an epidemic. What did Fluttershy say? Something about a bunny census…

The ground began to shake violently. What the heck's going on now?

"STAMPEDE!" Rainbow Dash cried.

Every pony ran around the town as they looked for shelter. I looked towards the same field that the cows came upon. What is it this time?

Wait, RABBITS?!

When the stampede was settled, I saw three mares lying on the ground. I noticed Twilight trotting towards their direction.

"The horror! The horror!" one of the ponies cried out dramatically.

"It was AWFUL!"

"A disaster, a horrible, horrible disaster!"

"I don't get it…" Twilight said in confusion.

"Our gardens, DESTROYED!"

"Every last flower devoured!"

"By…by…THEM!"

She pointed to the cute rabbits happily devouring a garden.

"Oh my! Please stop little bunnies! Oh no! Please, let's go home! Oh my goodness!" Fluttershy tried to persuade the little critters, but the bunnies continued to eat.

"Alright, enough is enough!" Twilight finally placed her hoof down.

I decided to walk towards her and she noticed my presence. "Let me guess: She didn't listen again?"

I nodded, "Yup. Wanna go back one last time?"

* * *

I sure hope that this IS the last time. Applejack's on top of a hill, bucking a tree while she was gasping for air. Even though she was fatigued, she could still manage to kick the tree with enough force so that the apples would fall.

"Must…keep…bucking…just…a few…more…must finish…harvesting…"

"Alright, Applejack. Your applebucking hasn't just caused you problems; it's over-propelled a Pegasus, practically poisoned plenty of ponies, and terrorized bushels of bouncing baby bunnies! We don't care what you say. You. Need. Help."

AJ continued to buck the apple tree. Alright, I was gonna help her out, but when she gave one last kick, all the apples in the tree fell in her basket.

She chuckled triumphantly, "No I don't! Look, I did it! I harvested the entire Sweet Apple Acres without your help! How d'ya like them apples?!"

I don't even know if I'm going to be impressed or angered. She did all of this all by herself? Impressive. While she also worked all by herself and multi-tasked to help others? Depends, but mostly, angered because you know…multiple injuries…and destruction of property…

I looked over her to get a better view of her accomplishment, and what I saw made my eyes wide. Shall I say it?

"Uh…how do you like THEM apples?" I pointed to the other half of the orchard, where apple trees are waiting to be harvested.

"Huh? Where'd all the apple…" She mumbled, and she passed out.

Twilight and I trotted towards her. "Applejack. Applejack." Twilight tried waking her up.

"Huh?" Applejack replied.

"Oh good, you're okay." Twilight said in relief.

Now, before this stubborn pony can say anything and continue her bucking, I'm gonna give her some talking. I'm too concerned for her to continue this. "Applejack? Look, we completely respect your ways of helping any pony in need. But how about you let your friends return the favor and hide your stubborn pride for a while? Your body can't take any more form of distress." Twilight nodded in agreement.

AJ looked away for a moment before closing her eyes, "Okay, Blast…"

Oh my god, finally she gave up. "Hm? Come again?" I pretended not to hear.

"I said yes. Yes, please? I could really use some help…" Applejack begged.

Twilight laughed before sighing in relief, "I'm gonna go and get the others."

I nodded and she began galloping away. I lifted Applejack up gently and walked her towards her home.

"Thank you plenty, Star Blast…I'm sorry I acted so stubbornly…"

"Nah, it's alright. We're just glad you're okay."

She smiled weakly, "Looks like I won't be bucking any apple trees any time soon."

"True. I guess you can rely on us now to take care of the rest?"

She nodded, "I will. I'll leave the rest to ya."

We finally arrived at her home and I walked her in silently so that Granny wouldn't be disturbed from her sleep. I helped her sit down gently on her couch.

"Okay, before I go is there anything you'd like? A glass of water perhaps?" I offered.

"I'm okay, thanks for asking though."

I started to hear noises outside. "Wow, they're already here. See you later AJ. Take care."

She waved back as I bid farewell. I headed towards Twilight and the other mares.

"Where's Applejack, Star Blast?" Twilight asked.

"I already took her inside. She's resting for now." I changed the tone of my face to a determined mood. "Okay, how about we wrap this all up by day's end?"

And so we worked throughout the afternoon. We harvested the apples in our own way, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie doing the classic bucking, Fluttershy and Rarity picking the apples more delicately, and Twilight used her magic to pick out the apples in dozens of trees. Well, I should mimic what she's doing then. I reminded myself not to overdo my magical capability.

I heard galloping heading towards my direction. I turned around and saw Silver with a panicked look for some reason.

"Rob! What are you doing?! Applejack's gonna kill you if she finds out that you're helping her out!"

I smirked and I tried not to laugh, "You didn't know? Applejack already gave us her blessing to help out."

"Really?" He stopped and calmed down. "Oh yes, I can finally come out of hiding now."

"Let's go and help the others now then."

We all continued to work together until the sun began setting down. We already took care of the quarter left in the acres. We gathered the apple bunch in a certain area of the farm.

"Hey! How about ya'll take a little break? I got some fine apple juice waiting for ya!" We heard Applejack announce, pushing along a cart full of bottled juice. We now grouped near her to quench our thirst.

"I can't thank you all enough for this help. I was acting…a bit stubborn." She said meekly.

"A BIT?"

"Okay, a MIGHTY stubborn. And I'm awful sorry. Now, I know the town gave me the Prized Pony Award, but the real award, is having you all as my friends."

"Oh stop it you, you're making us blush." The girls laughed at what I just rambled out while Silver just looked at me funny. Hey, Lemuel's not here so someone's got to take over.

Wait…If Pinkie's already recovered, where the heck is he?

"Phew! That apple bucking sure made me hungry!" Rainbow Dash announced after she took a sip of apple juice.

Spike walked over, bringing a bunch of those nasty muffins. "And I've got the perfect treat!"

"Eww! Spike, I threw all those away!" Pinkie scooted away. "Where did you get them?"

"From the trash!"

We all groaned in disgust. "EW~!"

"Just a little nibble? Come ON~!" Spike tried to persuade, but we all walked as far away from him as possible.

"No thanks, Spike. How about we all eat some REAL treats back at home?" We all cried happily at AJ's invitation.

Once our hunger was settled, we all parted ways when it was finally night time. When we arrived back at library, Twilight ordered Spike to bring out his writing utensils so that she can send a letter to Princess Celestia.

"Dear Princess Celestia, my friend, Applejack, is the best friend a pony could ever have. She's always there to help any pony, but the trouble is, when she needs help she finds it hard to accept it. So while friendship is all about giving out ourselves to friends, it's also accepting what our friends have to offer. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."

Spike sent the letter with his flame and walked up at their room.

"Looks like another friendship lesson is done?" I said to Twilight.

"Yup! And I can't wait for the next one. So, do you have anything else to do?"

I yawned, "I think I'm gonna hit the bed early. This day took all the energy from me."

She chuckled before yawning herself, "I guess I should rest too. Good night, Blast."

"G'night, Twilight."

Before I could walk in the stairs, a random scream startled both I and Twilight. We looked at each other before running towards the source. It was from our room.

We checked what was happening inside, and saw Silver laughing madly on the ground. I noticed that Speedy was violently shaking, hiding under his bed. He was in the library all afternoon?

"What the heck happened here?" I demanded.

Silver tried to stand up with a struggle, still giggling madly. "I just offered him some muffins that Applejack baked! And he's scared for some reason! Oh my god dude~! His face was PRICELESS!"

"SHUT THE HELL UP! AND I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANOTHER MUFFIN EVER AGAIN!" Speedy cried.

I'm too tired to express my reaction to this situation. I just sighed.

* * *

 _Author's Note!_

 _Wow, I never thought that I would be gone for what, 2 weeks?_

 _Okay, I'm saying in advance that the next update might take a while. I need to handle all school works within next week. I like to work in the last minute because the pressure just pumps me up XD_

 _Anyway, I hope you all liked this chapter!_

 _As always, Fav it! Follow it! Review and tell me what you think! (Don't hesitate! I won't bite!) **LUMINOUS FADING AWAY...**_

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE THREE OC'S!**


	9. Big Bird's Mean Cousin

**_The Misadventures of Ponified Friends_**

 _ **Chapter 8: Big Bird's Mean Cousin (Griffon the Brush-Off)**_

* * *

My day started out like this.

I was doing my typical morning routine on weekends. I got out of bed, ate breakfast, got back in bed, and read some books to pass some time. Well eventually, I got bored. Also, my body was stiff as nails. I figured I should do some exercise, well, more of a stroll around town actually.

Coincidentally, Twilight herself planned to take a walk as well so I decided to join her.

Hours later, we stopped by the park and gave our legs a break. We both sat on a bench and entertained ourselves to relax. While Twilight brought a book (I wish I did too), I observed the scenery around me. It was one of the most peaceful mornings I've ever had.

Well, until a certain pink pony arrived that is.

"Hoof flying action overload! She was like a stunt superstar! Flying higher and higher, until Rainbow Dash swooped down!"

She zoomed away in a blink of an eye. Seriously, how is she doing this? We're all cartoons but even I couldn't do that.

"And just when before she hit the ground-" Okay now she was floating in midair with no support whatsoever. "-she pulled up! VROOM!"

"Uh huh." said by a very busy Twilight.

"That's quite amazing of Rainbow Dash, Pinkie." I commented, attempting a genuine smile. "And then what happened?"

"And then! She looped around and around like- whoo! whoo! whoo! whoo! whoo! whoo! WHOO!" Pinkie turned her head in every direction, as if implying that Rainbow was dashing everywhere in the sky. She then flopped to the ground.

"Uh huh." said Twilight yet again.

When I was about to tell Pinkie to get up from the dirt, the sound of an aircraft came ringing in. I looked up, and saw Rainbow Dash flying above us.

 _What's with the airplane sound anyway?_

I looked down and witnessed Pinkie following the blue Pegasus. I heard a relieved 'phew' come out of Twilight.

"Is that book really good that you don't want to be disturbed?" I asked her curiously. The book cover was blank so I have no idea what she was reading.

She turned to me. "Well, not exactly but THIS chapter's full of thrills! I wish every part's as good as this!"

Now I know that it's a story.

"Hm, good for you then." was my reply.

Twilight got up from the bench, then with her magic, closed the book and placed it inside her saddle bag. "I guess I'm going back home. There's this formula of a potion I found that I wanted to try. So, you have any plans for today?"

I pondered for a moment. "I could go job hunting. Why?"

Twilight smiled. "Oh, nothing. Then I wish you good luck, Star Blast."

"Thanks."

I waved goodbye as she started to head back to the library. I sighed.

 _Now, where do I start from here? I guess I should continue walking. There could be some wanted posters and requests in town for job openings._

Before I had the chance to get off from the bench, I felt the air in my lungs rush out of me when I was suddenly tackled to the ground.

I groaned painfully. I felt dizzy. There was someone on top of me, which I couldn't quite clear for my vision was a haze. It was saying something to me.

"You've got to help me!" It shouted.

 _Help you with what?_

I was then being shaken violently.

"Star Blast! Help me find a hiding spot!"

"…Rainbow Dash?" I once again groaned. "Was it really necessary to tackle me that hard?"

"I'm sorry, but I need your help! Pinkie has been bothering me for days and she just won't stop following me!" Rainbow said to me.

"Rainbow Daaash~!" I heard Pinkie's calling voice in the distance.

"Oh shoot! Gonna fly!" Rainbow Dash took off, pressing on my stomach to gain more momentum. That hurt so bad.

This morning didn't turn out to be peaceful.

"Hey Star Blast! Have you seen Rainbow Dash?"

I looked up at Pinkie, "She could be anywhere…"

"Really? Oh well, thanks anyways!"

She hopped along away from my location, leaving me laying there on the grass.

 _I'm going to let my body recover for a bit…_

* * *

"So all I need to do is carry these scrolls to the library and that's it?" I asked the tiny dragon.

Spike nodded, "After that, leave the rest to me."

I sighed. _This is way too easy._

While I was collecting the scrolls, for a second I saw a blur of pink outside the window. Then, I felt this chilly feeling, the same kind of chill I felt when that portal appeared back home but I quickly shook it off.

Spike was already outside the building when I had this strange feeling again, as if my instincts were telling me not to go outside.

Then it was proven right when I heard thunder.

"Spike?!" I called for the dragon worriedly as I rushed.

But when I got out though, I only heard hiccups and laughter from some pony.

"Oh Rainbow Dash, we startled Spike into getting the hiccups!" Pinkie Pie said before she resumed laughing.

"Pinkie? Rainbow? What the heck happened out here? And what was that thunder all of a sudden?" I asked as the cyan Pegasus laughed along.

Spike chuckled, "Don't worry _-*hiccup*-_ Star Blast! Pinkie and _-*hiccup*-_ Rainbow Dash just _-*hiccup*-_ pulled a fast prank _-*hiccup*-_ on me!"

As Spike picked up a scroll on the ground, he yelped when his hiccup ignited his dragon fire that accidentally sent the message to the Princess.

"Are you okay kid?" I walked towards the little dragon.

"Don't worry! _*hiccup*_ Dragons are _-*hiccup*-_ fire proof!" Spike reassured.

"But are you sure that you're fire proof on the inside?" I kept asking him.

Spike waved it off, "Don't be silly! _*hiccup*_ "

Spike continued picking up the scrolls, but every time he picks one up, his hiccups sends the papers to the Princess.

"I wish the same thing is _-*hiccup*-_ true with scrolls…" Spike commented.

I shook my head at the sight, and the two mares were still laughing…

"Well you two are certainly enjoying this." I said to them.

"I know! Have you ever SEEN more hilarious?" Pinkie asked before chortling herself down to the ground.

Oh, and to answer her question, TONS.

"I can think of ONE thing." Rainbow replied. Looking at a unsuspecting Pinkie Pie, she hopped out of her cloud, stretched her legs and… _Is she going to kick the cloud?_

I winced back when Rainbow made the cloud boom thunder. Pinkie Pie cried in surprise, and a few moments later she got the same treatment as Spike.

Seriously, I've never seen anyone laughing while getting the hiccups at the same time. And it was quite disturbing for me.

"I thought you were trying to hide from Pinkie Pie? Yet here you are as partners pulling off jokes." I said to the Rainbow maned mare.

"Well, I was but I didn't take her for a prankster. She's not as annoying as I thought!" Rainbow admitted.

"Are you _-*hiccup*-_ kidding?! I LOVE to pull pranks! It's all in _-*hiccup*-_ good fun, and Pinkie Pie _-*hiccup*-_ loo _~-*hiccup*-_ ves to have _-*hiccup*-_ fun!" Pinkie Pie brought up.

Rainbow Dash flew down. "Hey Pinkie, you wanna hang out?"

The pink pony grinned. "That'd be _-*hiccup*_ I'd really _-*hiccup*_ When do-* _hiccup*_ I mean _-*hiccup*_ When would you-"

I quickly placed a hoof on her mouth. "A simple nod is what she needed, Pinkie."

"Have you seen Speedy Glee, Blast? I'd like to invite him to our prank montage." Rainbow Dash asked.

"He's still sleeping back in the library, but I'll relay the message to him once I get back."

"Cool! Tell him to meet me and Pinkie in the Gag Store up town!"

I nodded. "Okay then, see you two later."

The two waved and went off. Now, should I tell Lem about this?

* * *

 _ **(Speedy's POV)**_

It's only eleven o'clock in the morning? It's still too early! Thanks a lot, Rob!

I sighed. Oh well, he also told me that RD invited me over to prank ponies. At least I'll enjoy the day in that way, I had nothing planned out!

I also noticed that Rob's voice sounded hesitant and weird for some reason when he told me the info.

I flew towards this Joke store where Pinkie usually buys some of her materials for her parties, like ammo for her Party Cannon.

I know right? Ammo for something silly like a Party Cannon?

…Okay I might have underestimated that thing once. It almost tore my head off at some point.

I landed down in front of the store and looked for the two. However, they suddenly trotted out of the building with baskets full of pranking materials.

Rainbow Dash saw me and she placed her basket down. "Hey Speedy! Glad you could come!"

"So Star Blast told me you'll prank ponies?" I devilishly smirked. _Mwa ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!_ I mean, "Who are the victims?"

"Well, at first we planned to prank EVERYPONY in town at once but we have a slight problem with our budget. These are only good for six at least." RD said.

Six huh? Hold the phone. "Why don't we just prank our friends with those as a back up?"

"That IS plan B!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"Really? Then problem solved!"

So it began. First target? Rarity.

* * *

I carefully placed these fake flowers in front of Rarity's door. I opened the cap of sneezing powder and sprinkled it all over. When it was all set, I hurriedly rang the doorbell and skedaddled away from the boutique.

I hid behind the bush with Pinkie and R. Dash.

"Is she even home?" I heard Rainbow wondered.

I glanced at her, "She is. She was working on some frilly looking dress."

"This is gonna be GOLD!" Pinkie said in excitement.

Finally Rarity opened the upper part of her door then she looked down at the fake flowers.

I couldn't help but chuckle silently with the two girls when Rarity smelled it. When she raised her head, her nose was covered with the pink powder then she began sneezing.

Jeez, even her sneeze was too delicate.

The three of us laughed as we moved along the next destination.

The freakin' library!

* * *

So the plan was to replace the ink Twilight was using with invisible ink, and since I live here, it was me again to do the job. Just got to be careful not to get caught by Spike, Twilight, and especially Rob. He would kill me with his stare that would make you think all the bad things you've done while you sit down in guilt and slowly die inside...

Yeah. It's pretty traumatizing.

I looked around sneakily, and it looked like Twilight went up her room and bingo! There was the vial of ink lying around!

I finally replaced the vial with the invisible one then I took my leave, zooming out of the library.

Pinkie and Rainbow Dash were perched on a tree branch, so I flew over their place. We watched as Twilight walked down the stairs with some big books. She looked over those, and she began writing down something on a paper.

"Turning invisible in three…two…one…" Rainbow Dash counted down.

All the words on the paper disappeared when Twilight turned around to check on her chemistry watch-a-ma-call-it. She looked back at her paper and the look of confusion on her face made me snicker. Her lab experiment glowed brightly and made her alarmed. She tried looking for her notes until finally, it exploded.

Like the previous prank, we laughed our way towards Sweet Apple Acres. Oh boy, I couldn't wait to mess with Hassan again. Lolz.

* * *

"Wait, wait, wait, we're going to paint ALL the apples here?"

"With spray paint! Did you think we're gonna paint 'em with a brush?"

I scoffed. "Yeah!"

"This will only take a few seconds. Quick! Before Applejack and Silver Spur returns!"

I forced my willpower to keep up with Rainbow and Pinkie Pie with the job. Imagine if we actually used a paint brush. I would've had tire myself to death.

Ten minutes later, Applejack and Hassan went out of the barn with wagons attached to them. Pinkie, Rainbow and I smiled at their direction.

"Howdy, guys." Applejack greeted.

"What the heck are you three smiling about?" the Shuriken demanded. Heh, shuriken. His Cutie butt mark still looks like a shuriken to me.

"I don't know," Rainbow Dash giggled. "Aren't you noticing something STRANGE goin' on in here?"

"Yeah~!" Pinkie Pie joined in. "REAL strange!"

When AJ and Hassan discovered the prank, the next thing we knew was that we were bombarded with colorful apples.

The paint that we used at the apples weren't toxic and permanent by the way.

* * *

The sun was setting around the time we had our last prank of the day. A fake tortoise leisurely minding its own business as it swims in the pond. The trick here was that it was attached to a hose, which Pinkie Pie was controlling.

And when someone comes close to the toy, it's squirting time…the safe for work kind :)

While Pinkie Pie hopped in place due to anticipation, Rainbow Dash acted as the look out, using a telescope. I just made sure that no one was looking at us so that we could make this prank a success.

"Is someone over there? Who're we gonna squirt? Who're we gonna squirt?" Pinkie asked.

I giggled silently. _Heh, squirt…_

RD responded with a chuckle, "Fluttershy."

I widened my eyes to that one, "Flutters?"

"What?!" Pinkie Pie spat out the hose. "No no no no! We can't prank Fluttershy!"

"I agree. She seems so freaking sensitive. I bet she'll break down crying even with this harmless prank." I said.

RD sighed. "Yeah… I guess you're right. Huh, we need another victim who's made of tougher stuff. So, who's it gonna be?"

She took her sight out of the binocular, and I noticed that there was black ink encircled around the area of that eye. This was definitely Pinkie Pie's doing.

And she was amused, "I've got SOMEONE in mind. The toughest around!"

Rainbow was still unaware of this classic prank. "Awesome! Who? Who? Do I know them?"

PP pointed at the water, "Oh yes. You're very close!" and she laughed some more.

Rainbow laughed along as well.

Well, me? I just rolled my eyes in amusement. This is a work of an amateur.

"Good one Pinkie." I offered her a high five- I mean, HIGH-HOOF.

She gladly accepted my hoof.

"Down low…"

I quickly reeled back before she could make any contact.

"Whoops! Too slow!"

As the sun finally went down with the sounds of joyous hilarity, Fluttershy poked the forgotten toy tortoise.

* * *

 ** _(Blast's POV)_**

"Wait, they did WHAT to the apples?"

"They painted them! I don't how they have managed to do that, but they just did!"

I sighed. Well, they certainly went all out this day.

As if on cue, Speedy came barging in our room.

"Top of the evening to you laddies!"

Silver glared at him. "Look who decided to show up. You and those two ponies just HAD to paint all the apples!"

Speedy just laughed at his remarks. "Relax! The paint's are washable."

"YES, and it took us hours to clean them!" a huff came out of Silver. "You could've at least made it rain with those Pegasus powers of yours."

"Sorry bro, I'm just caught in the moment!" Speedy continued laughing.

"Ha ha ha… Yeah laugh all you want, you overgrown Canary."

Speedy rolled his eyes and flew towards his bed, "Oh don't be such a killjoy, Hassan."

"By the way, are you the reason behind Twilight's failed experiment?" I asked.

Speedy lifted his head up to look at me. "Uh…Maybe?"

I raised a brow, "I'm pretty sure that you saw the result when you came here, right?"

"Oh, so that's why the table looks like coffee jelly."

"Not only that, Twilight was UPSET man," Silver said. "I would apologize to her soon if I were you."

"What's the big deal? It's just a joke." Speedy reasoned.

I frowned, "Look, some people may enjoy your pranks for laughs, but there are some who found it annoying." Including me of course. "Please tell me you three are done with this thing…"

"Well, they didn't say anything after our last prank." Speedy said. "I guess we'll see tomorrow."

I yawned, as well as Silver.

"I'm beat." Silver moaned as he buried himself in his bed. "All the extra work drained my energy."

"Me too…" Speedy sighed exhaustingly. "Sweet dreams boys."

After I was done reading, I neatly arranged my bed and flopped down on it and I turned off my lamp.

I closed my eyes, and I silently thanked that I was the only one here that didn't get pranked before I lost consciousness.

* * *

Today was Sunday, and I just repeated my routine.

This time though, I've got company in the form of Lemuel.

"So dude, I heard you went job hunting yesterday. How did it go? You've found one yet?"

"Actually…It was rather cut short." I answered. "The only wanted ad I saw was for a Clown Emporium. I don't know why the Mayor's office recommended it to me though."

"Maybe they thought you have clown fetish perhaps?"

"…Don't even go there."

Speedy chuckled. "I'm hungry. Do we have food around here?"

I nodded. "There are some left over Hayburgers in the fridge."

"Awesome. Gonna go head down for a bit." He said as he flew towards the door and opens it.

As he headed down stairs, I wondered why there was a fridge in this world in the first place. A mixture of generations, I guess? That DJ pony had bass cannons and synthesizers yet they have stage plays typically and I have not seen a TV around here. I'm still mostly confused at the medieval setting of this universe.

"Twilight! TWILIGHT!"

Did I hear Pinkie Pie scream?

It felt like the whole library shook when someone closed the door with enough force.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Speedy shrieked in surprise. I guess I better head down and see what the problem is.

"Great Pinkie! Now look at what you made me do!" Speedy ranted as he pointed at the soggy burger mess on the floor. "You owe me breakfast!"

"I'll give you TEN boxes of cupcakes! Just hear me out!" Pinkie said.

"What's going on? Is there something wrong Pinkie Pie?" I asked.

"I…guess you can say that?" she sounded unsure. "Anyway, when I headed towards Rainbow Dash's house, there's this REALLY big Griffon who turned out to be her friend!"

"Okay first of all, what the HELL is a Griffon?"

I turned to my yellow friend. "Half-lion, half-eagle if I remember correctly."

"A lion-eagle hybrid? That is SO cool!" he said with a smile, but his face turned into a confused look. "But, why do you sound so troubled?"

"The thing is, she's acting like a REALLY big meanie! I've never met a griffon this mean! Well actually, I've never met a griffon at all, but I bet if I had, she wouldn't be as mean and grumpy as Gilda!"

I hummed attentively, "Those are very strong words coming from a friendly pony like you. Are you sure she's THAT mean?"

She rolled her eyes, "Uh, YEAH! She keeps stealing Rainbow Dash away, she popped my balloon, and she told me to buzz off!"

"I don't know," Speedy pondered as he put his hoof under his chin. "Sounds like you're pretty jelly."

"Jelly?" Pinkie asked.

Looks like she didn't know the slang, "Jelly means jealous, Pinkie."

"Jealous?! I'm not jealous!"

"Eeyup! Pretty PINK with envy. Not green." Speedy added.

"Yeah…" I cleared my throat. "Look, just because Rainbow has another friend doesn't mean that she's stealing her away from you. In fact, we didn't even know who this Gilda was until you mentioned her so we're not sure if what you're saying is true."

Pinkie looked at me, perplexed. "But-but I! Gilda's that-! A-are you seri-?!" She screamed before she stomped her way towards the door and she slams it.

Speedy whistled, "Well that's a new kind of PP."

"I can't believe it…" I said. "She seems like the type who wouldn't say those things."

"Look dude, you wanna check this Gilda chick out?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to be kinda busy dealing with your mess." I pointed at the coffee jelly table. "Twilight told me that there was a spell that could turn this table back to normal somewhere. She went shopping with Spike for her next experiment ."

"Oh… So it's up to me then?"

I nodded. "Just… be careful. We don't know how to deal with this Griffon friend of RD."

"Relax dude!" He said with a reassuring smile. "If anything weird happens, I'll either step in, or get out of the way."

"Alright," I opened the door for him with my magic.

* * *

 ** _(Speedy's POV)_**

I flew all over Ponyville and there were still no signs of Gilda. Surely, it's easy enough to spot a huge bird flying in the sky right?

Well, I wouldn't count on that anymore.

I couldn't even spot Rainbow Dash, even in her favorite hang outs.

I decided to walk on foot; my wings were killing me I tell you. I need to rest at least for a while.

As I walked around aimlessly, I spotted Pinkie Pie drinking a milkshake outside of Sugarcube Corner. Now this is a place I hadn't checked.

But Pinkie though…I have never seen her look so glum. She's like a totally different person. Oh wait, PONY I mean.

Damn this world with their horse puns!

Anyways, I marched towards sad pony, "Hey P, you alright?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm ok I guess." Yeah, I can tell she's bummed out.

I took the seat next to her, "So…Why don't you tell me more about Gilda, huh? What's she like?"

"I already told you! She's nothing but a big mean grumpy-big-meanie pants!" Pinkie groaned before she sighed and slumped down on the table, "I don't know, Speedy. Maybe you're right. Maybe I am a jealous-judgmental-jealous-jealousy pants. I may as well improve my attitude or something…"

I shook my head. "No, you don't need to improve anything about you. You're already the friendliest pony in Ponyville and everyone here adores you! Don't change it just because of some random stranger. Like wise men say, just be yourself!"

That made her smile happily at the least. "…that is true."

"Oh, and it is completely alright to be jealous. It's normal! It's part of life's challenges and gifts!" I pointed at myself with a hoof. "Trust me; I sometimes get jealous when it comes to friends."

"Really?"

"Mmhmm." I leaned closer to her. "About five years ago when we first met Silver, I was so jealous because Star Blast spends most of his time with him. When my jealousy got the best of me, I pranked Silver. And do you wanna know what happened?"

Pinkie nodded in full attention.

"He almost tore me in HALF!" I announced. "Of course not literally. More like, my stomach hurts so bad when he punched me in the gut. After that, Star Blast lectured me and he said that he was just helping Spur to adjust and get used to our city, and long story short, we have now a love-hate kind of friendship."

Pinkie stood up and rubbed her head confusingly, "So are you saying that I need to do the same thing to Gilda?"

My face scrunched for a moment, "Oh! I was just sharing a story. Did you thought that was some sort of advice lesson or something?"

Before she could reply, we heard a sound of laughter in the sky, accompanied by zooming sounds of a jet.

In my opinion, it was SOOOO over the top. Even I could make those sound effects, hell maybe every Pegasus that flies fast. It made me look and sound faster though so I shouldn't complain.

I noticed that Pinkie hid herself under the table. I looked up, and there was Rainbow Dash and… THAT'S GILDA?! So that's what Griffons look like, man she looks scary! I think I'm starting to believe Pinkie Pie!

"That was sweet! I gotta take care of a few weather jobs around here. Shouldn't take long, just uh, hang in town and I'll come find you!" Rainbow said to the fierce looking mutant eagle as they glided down near our place.

"That's cool I guess. I'm gonna go chow down!" Gilda replied.

I quietly moved under the table, down to hide also. I better observe her carefully so that I could report something back in the library.

RD took off, and that was the moment to see if Pinkie's allegations were indeed true.

Gilda observed around a little bit before catching an eye out in a vegetable stand. I saw a malicious grin form in her face. She glided her way towards the stand and made a prank on Applejack's grandma.

"Aaaah! A RATTLER! A RATTLER!" Granny pointed her shivering hooves at Gilda's tail. "Run for the hills! Everybody! Protect yourselves!"

The sight of Granny's running speed was hilarious though, but she's an old woman! I wouldn't do that!

"Poor Granny Smith, she didn't know it was a joke. How mean!" Pinkie glared for a moment. "No no, I can't misjudge her. It was kind of a funny prank…"

I disagreed with her on this one. "That's no joke in my standards. Something terrible could have happened to Granny! Scaring an old lady…was she even thinking?"

I turned my attention back to the troublemaking Gilda. She looked so suspicious in front of those busy shoppers…

For a split second, I saw her snatch an apple with her tail. Now she's stealing?! She's becoming a sore in my eyes the more she continues!

I heard Pinkie gasp sharply, "I DID misjudge her! She's not only a meanie-mean pants, she's also a thief!"

I was now burrowing a hole behind Gilda's head with my glare, "One more strike and that's it…"

PP looked up for a bit, "No no no no no. She might give it back! It's just a joke."

I looked at her skeptically, " _Stealing_ is not considered a joke. Also, how the hell will she give back something she already ate?"

She shrugged.

"Alright little ones. This way, this way." I heard a fairly soft and timid voice in my left. I then found out it was Fluttershy going all Snow White again, helping a family of ducks cross the path of this busy market place. "Mama Duck, you're free and clear."

However, Gilda, who could clearly see anyone in front of her, bumped into Fluttershy and said, "Hey!"

"Please excuse me…" said Fluttershy.

"I'm walkin' here!" Gilda yelled, prompting Flutters to back away.

"I…I'm sorry…I was just trying to-"

" _I'm sorry! I'm sorry!_ Why don't you just watch where you're going, doofus?!"

I gasped. How dare her mocking someone as innocent as Flutters!

Gilda marched towards Fluttershy in intimidating fashion, scaring the family of ducks that Fluttershy was helping.

"Bu-but…I…I…" Fluttershy looked so defenseless.

 _Strike 3. She's out._

Gilda took a deep breath, and before she could do something that would harm my pony friend, I stepped in with my annoying offensive mode.

"HEY SISTER!" I bellowed. "That's my girl!"

Gilda gazed at my presence, "Are you talking to me, you tiny pony?"

"What did you just call me?!" I kept moving forward in front of her, trying to invade as much of her personal space and annoy her as possible. This method works most of the time back home.

"Hey back off!" she said annoyingly.

"You messing with me? I break-a yo face!" I did my best Mexican accent for some reason.

Everybody was looking at us at this point, probably wondering what the commotion was about. Gilda glanced in every direction. "All these ponies watching are making me buggy. I gotta bail."

She flew upwards, and away she goes. She couldn't handle THIS booooi~!

I heard sobbing behind me, so I turned around and saw Fluttershy nearly weeping.

"Yo Flutters, it's alright now. Gilda flew away like a lil' bit- I mean, female dog." I reassured her.

She sniffed. "Thank you Speedy…"

I smiled, "Don't mention it." The sounds of quacking caught my attention. "Also, you might want to keep those ducks away from the vegetables. Looks like their dropping somethin' stinky."

"Oh my goodness!" She galloped away. "Not there, baby ducklings!"

I returned to Pinkie's table. "You were right! Not only is she mean, she's an F-ing bully and a thief!"

"I know, RIGHT? And she almost roared at Fluttershy's face! No one does that to her! No. One!"

She began walking inside Sugar Cube so I followed her in.

"This calls for extreme measures! PINKIE PIE STYLE!" she declared, stopping in the center of the shop.

"Oh! Oh! Are you gonna shoot her in the face with your party cannon? No wait! Poison her cupcake! No no! Something even better! " I stopped suggesting when she had this startled look. "…yeah those are a little too much."

"I've thought of something much effective, Speedy. I am one hundred percent sure that THIS will work!"

"And that is…?"

 **(2 hours later)**

I couldn't believe she's throwing a party for this devil incarnate!

I would've called the police or something! Hell, maybe even report this to the Princess myself! The thing's that Gilda had done were a pretty big deal even in this cartoon world.

Damn it. If Pinkie said this would work, then I had no choice but to support her.

I sat down near the punch bowl and poured myself a cup. Somehow my sweat shows through my yellow pony coat. An hour of flying around Ponyville to invite ponies was exhausting.

Pinkie Pie was welcoming the ponies entering the party. Finally most of the gang had arrived. I waved at them.

"Who is this Gilda I've heard nothin' about?" Applejack wondered, walking around with Rarity.

"I hear she's an old friend of Rainbow Dash. A Griffon! So rare!" Rarity showed some interest.

I looked at the entrance, noticing Twilight and Fluttershy walk in. Good timing! I was going to say something to her anyway. "Yo Twilight!"

"Hi, Speedy." Twilight looked away in spite.

This made me chuckle nervously. "So… Did you get a new ink for your studying?"

"I almost went over to Canterlot, thank you very much. Good thing there's a store beyond the town. The ink I use is rare and of high-quality."

I winced. "Didn't know that was so valuable… I am SO sorry! RD and PP made me do it and somehow I lost it!"

She sighed. "Don't worry, all is forgiven. But next time, keep the pranks at a MINOR level."

"I swear I won't do anything stupid and inappropriate to you ever again! You know what? Let me make it up to you. Give me one of your chores or something!"

"I told you, all is forgiven." She changed her expression. "Anyway, you've met Gilda right? What is she like?"

Before I answered her question, I looked over her and saw Flutters whimper.

"Oh, you are gonna LOVE her Twi!" I lied. "She's a total HOOT!"

"…okay?"

I moved past her and I whispered to Fluttershy. "You don't have to worry. Not while we're around."

"Uh…Speedy? About Pinkie's party for Gilda, do you think it's a good idea? I mean-"

"Don't worry your pretty little head about mean, old Gilda." Pinkie interrupted, tapping Fluttershy's head. "Your Auntie Pinkie Pie's got it all taken care of!"

"I'm a year older than you…"

Ain't that a fantastic fact? So that's why she had this mature aura all over her.

 _Wait. How old are these ponies?_

Meanwhile, Gilda walked in the building, prompting Pinkie to move towards the door.

"Gilda! I'm so honored to throw you one of my signature Pinkie Pie parties! And I really, truly, SINCERELY welcome you amongst us pony folk!"

Pinkie held out her hoof, in which Gilda hesitated to shake. But when she did grab it, she jolted and she was electrocuted. Pinkie laughed, and I saw a buzzer wrapped around her hoof.

Dafaq? It was just a vibrating button, but in here it's literally electric!

This caused everybody in the building to laugh.

"Oh Pinkie Pie, the old hoof-shake buzzer," Rainbow laughed along with Pinkie. "You are a SCREAM."

"Yeah…Good one Pinkie Pie…" Gilda said nervously. Seems like she's afraid because RD is here. Hah! So she can't do anything stupid from here on out!

"Come on, G. I'll introduce you to some of my other friends." RD wove past in between Pinkie and Gilda.

"Right behind you Dash!" she then turned to face Pinkie angrily. "I know what you two are up to."

I did a double take when I overheard her statement, "Excuse me, but I had nothing to do with this so count me out. In fact, you should be glad that we ain't tattle-tale-ing you to Rainbow Dash…not yet at least."

She grumbled, "I know what you're planning."

Pinkie laughed obnoxiously, "Well I hope so! This wasn't supposed to be a SURPRISE PARTY!"

"I mean, I've got my EYE on you…" Gilda said in a hiss.

"And I got my EYE on YOU." Pinkie countered, her eyes popping out of its sockets for comedic effect.

 _Hmm…Let me try that. Nnnnngggghhh-! Ow, ow, migraine!_

"Everyone," all the attention turned to Pinkie. "I'd like you all to meet Gilda. A long time, dear friend of Rainbow Dash!"

Gilda was standing in front with a scowl. Suddenly, she was hugged by Pinkie.

"Let's honor her and welcome her to Ponyville."

Everypony cheered for Gilda, whose smile was rather forced. Rainbow went to her side and grinned proudly. If only she knew.

"Please, help yourself." Pinkie presented Gilda a table full of delicious food.

"Vanilla Lemon drops?" Gilda eyed said food. "Don't mind if I do."

She picked up a piece and popped one in her mouth. Her face suddenly twisted, and out came fire from her mouth so hot that Pinkie roasted a marshmallow..

"HOOOOOTTT~!"

"G! The punch!" RD instructed when Gilda really didn't need to be told.

Big bird dashed her way to the bowl of refreshment. She took a cup full and chugged it down…only to realize that the cup was broke and all the juice spilled all over her chest.

"Well, whaddya know? Pepper in the vanilla lemon drops AND punch served in a dribble glass!" Pinkie stated.

"Priceless!" RD said through chuckles.

Gilda poured punch in a new cup and gulped, "Ha ha…hilarious."

I'm clearly seeing a pattern here. That electro-shock buzzer, the pepper-filled lemon drops and the broken cup? Was this Pinkie's true intention? To prank Gilda after prank after prank after prank, until she can't take it no more and leave?

"Hey G! Look! Presents!" RD showed her the table of gifts.

Gilda obliged happily when she took a cylinder shaped present. She untangled the gift with her beak and out came toy snakes that popped.

"Spittin' Snakes, some pony pulled that prank on me last month!" said Applejack.

"Ha ha…I bet I know who that was…" Gilda instinctively looked at PP.

"You do?" asked Pinkie innocently.

So the party went on for a while. What a miracle that was considering the tension between Pinkie and Gilda. Fluttershy went full Disney Princess mode again by orchestrating a bird choir for the party's merriment while the others listened to the tunes. Honestly, I wish Vinyl Scratch was here. She'd turn this party into a rave with her music! But yeah, the ambiance of this place suits the bird choir well.

"Cake time, everypony!" Pinkie arrived back from the kitchen, carrying a gigantic pink frosted cake.

"Hey, can I blow out the candles?" Spike asked.

"Why don't we let Gilda blow out the candles, Spike?" Twilight told the tiny lizard. "She IS the guest of honor after all."

I nodded, "Watcha' waitin' for, pretty birdie?"

She mumbled curses (yeah I could hear them) to me silently as she walked towards the cake. She huffed, and blew the candle lights. Seconds later, the candles were re-lit.

Oh, so relighting candles huh? This is a classic!

She huffed and blew, huffed and blew numerous times as the crowd laughed at her demise.

"I wonder who could've done that?" Pinkie said.

"Who cares?" Spike dug into the cake and then sprouted up like a mole on top. "This cake is amazing!"

"Spike!" Twilight exclaimed.

"What? It's great, so try some!"

Gilda's face was furious.

"Hey, you're not upset by some silly candles now, are you?" I said to her in a teasing tone.

"Why you little-" She noticed Rainbow Dash arriving, "I mean, no way. Like I always say, I'm DOWN with a good prank."

I snickered at her nervous tone. Her fury came back when Rainbow Dash passed us by as she continued to kill me with her stare. Not gonna work, sister. I've had worse and survived.

"Hey ya'll, it's pin the tail on the pony!" Apple J announced as everypony gathered around at the site.

"My favorite game!" Wow. What are you five, Rarity? "Can I go first? Can I have the purple tail?"

"Well I AM the guest of honor," Gilda quickly snatched the tail away from Rarity. "So I'll have the purple tail."

"Yeah! Gilda should definitely go first!" Pinkie said.

"All over it," I added. I then picked up the blindfold and gave it to Spike. "Let's get her patched up!"

"What are you doing?!" Gilda yelled at Spike as he tied up the cloth around her head.

She was then spun around by Pinkie Pie, spinning like a top in an absurd speed.

"You'll spin around and around until you can pin the tail on the pony! Now just walk straight ahead and pin the tail!" Pinkie instructed, helping Gilda face the direction of the tail-less pony poster.

However, " _Just walk straight ahead and pin the tail!_ Yeah right! This is another prank, isn't it?"

I looked around. It didn't seem that there was a prank set up. I realized that this was an actual legit game.

"I'm going this way!" Gilda turned around and did as she said.

"But wait! The poster is this-!" Pinkie tried to tell the griffon, but all was too late when Gilda slipped all the way straight to the direction of the kitchen thanks to a spilled frosting on the floor.

She went out in a sticky mess. The tail was pinned in her beak.

"Yo, Gilda?" I called her out. I wanted to say this so badly! I snickered. "I think you pinned the tail on the wrong end!"

Everypony busted out laughing. Yeah, I'm a savage.

"Thank you! Thank you very much!" I bowed dramatically, which also made them laugh harder and cheer.

I suddenly heard a frightening roar that made me jump up a bit.

"THIS is your idea of a good time?!" Gilda bellowed as she floated. "I have never met a bunch of dweebs in all my LIFE! And Pinkie Pie? You are queen lame-o with your weak little party pranks! Did you really think you and your annoying Pegasus friend can make me lose my cool?"

"But you already lost your cool." I pointed out.

"Shut your trap or I'll close it for ya!"

I shrugged and raised my front hooves up in the air.

"Dash and I have TEN TIMES as much cool as the rest of you put together!"

RD was obviously displeased when she heard this burn out.

"Come on, Dash. We're bailing on this pathetic scene." Gilda said, but RD didn't move a single step. "Come on, Rainbow Dash! I SAID we're LEAVING!"

"You know Gilda…I was the one who set up those _weak_ pranks at this party." RD spoke up- wait, WHAT?

"What?!" I had the same expression as you, Gilda.

"Ooh…" Pinkie said awkwardly.

 _Uh oh Spaghetti-O's~! She's in trouble~!_

"So I guess I'M queen lame-o." RD said with a hint of disappointment at her friend.

"Come on Dash, you're joshing me…" Gilda laughed weakly.

"They weren't all meant for you specifically. It was just dumb luck that you set them all of." RD shared.

"I should' a known. That dribble cup had Rainbow Dash written all over it." Pinkie commented.

"No way… It was Pinkie Pie and that Pegasus!" Gilda pointed at us stubbornly. "They set up this party to trip me up! To make a fool of me!"

"What? I threw this party to improve your attitude." Pinkie admitted. "I thought a good party would turn that frown upside down."

"And I honestly thought that PP set up all those pranks and I found out her true intention just now. I had nothing to do with this party." I stated my innocence.

"You sure didn't need help making a fool of yourself." Dash said in anger. "You know, this is not how I thought my OLD friend would treat my NEW friends. If being cool is all you care about, maybe you should go find some new cool friends someplace else."

"Oh yeah? " Gilda began stuttering. "You are a FLIP FLOP! Cool one minute and lame the next! When you decided not to be lame anymore, give me a call."

She marched her way to the exit, but someone opened the door before her.

She halted. "Get out of my way!"

I looked over her shoulder, and my eyes widened.

 _She is SO dead._

Gilda roared. "I said, get out of my WAY!" she looked into his eyes. "Wh-why are you looking at me like that…? Hey! Stop it I'm serious!" I could hear her voice tremble. "Stop staring at me! STOP STARING AT ME!"

Gilda flew away in fright, and there he stood. Rob just used his Stare at her.

"So it's true huh?" Damn he looked so cool! "I guess the party's over then?"

"Dude!" I galloped my way in front of him. "You used your Stare at her, right?!"

The green Unicorn in front of me rolled his eyes. "I told you to stop calling it that."

"But you did it, didn't you? She sounded so scared!"

Star sighed. "Anyways, I'm sorry I'm late. I got a little busy with the failed experiment back home, but I heard every word Gilda said."

"Told you~!" Pinkie said in a sing-song voice.

"Talk about a party pooper, right?" Spike said to RD, who frowned.

"I'm sorry everypony for bringing Gilda here. I didn't know how rude she was," she turned to Pinkie. "And Pinkie Pie? I'm really sorry she ruined that awesome party you put on for her."

Pinkie smiled. "Hey, if you wanna hang out with party poopers, that's your business."

"I'd rather hang out with you. No hard feelings?"

"No hard feelings."

When they're hooves made contact they both got electrocuted. Still pranking with each other at the end of the day huh?

I saw Blast walking towards Pinkie Pie. "Hey, sorry we accused you of being jealous."

"It's okay, Star Blast! Even you can't be a super smart, smarty pants like Twilight all the time." She said, accepting the apology.

"Hey! I'm not a know-it-all ALL the time!" Sure you don't, Twilight.

Everypony laughed once again at the situation.

"Come on everypony! There's still a whole lotta' partying to finish!"

And so another problem solved and the day ended again with a celebration. Her parties maybe her daily routine, but somehow it feels a lot different than the other.

I wondered where that Gilda ended up to. I don't know about you guys, but she seems like a tsundere if you ask me. There was still a chance for her to turn good at some point if she looked for another angle in her grumpy life.

Also, where the hell is Hassan? Oh well, I'll just eat that delicious cake to my heart's content!

* * *

 _ **(Silver's POV)**_

Hmm…I feel like I'm supposed to go somewhere and I forgot.

* * *

 ** _(Speedy's POV)_**

"Dearest Princess Celestia, today I learned that it's hard to accept when somepony you like wants to spend time with somepony who's not so nice. Though, it's impossible to control who your friends hang out with, it IS possible to control your own behavior. Just continue to be a good friend, and in the end, the difference between a false friend and one who is true will surely come to light. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."

I clapped, "Nice, nice letter Princess Celestia. So, can I ask WHY am I cleaning ALL the books in the freaking library?!"

"Well, earlier you said that I can give you some of my chores to make up for my disastrous chemistry lesson. I know it takes a lot of time, but it's pretty simple you know?"

"But I thought I was forgiven!"

Twilight picked up a notebook. "I'm sorry, but I realized that the rearrangements will come in conflict with my studies. And I wonder whose fault this is?"

I gaped. "Then tell Rainbow and Pinkie to also do it! And they were the ones who started this thing in the first place!"

"I suppose, but after the events back in Sugarcube Corner, I thought that they deserve a little break. I already talked to Star Blast to not lend a hoof while you work."

I groaned, "This is so unfair. Fine."

"Great! I expect the books to be dusted, arranged by topic AND in alphabetical order once you're done."

"Yes, Twilight..." _Me and my BIG mouth…_

* * *

 _Author's Note!_

 _FINALLY! I. AM. BACK!_

 _Sorry it took so long, people! Now, I need to remind myself to write a thousand words per day in a chapter to really get it going._

 _Lemeul Adams a.k.a Speedy Glee finally made his narrating debut, with a small one from Hassan a.k.a Silver Spur. He'll get some more in the future chapters obviously._

 _Hope you all liked it!_ _As always, Fav it! Follow it! Review and tell me what you think!_

 _Until the next chapter! **LUMINOUS FADING AWAY...**_

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT MY THREE OC'S!**


	10. The Phony Pony

**_The Misadventures of Ponified Friends_**

 ** _Chapter 9: The Phony Pony (Boast Busters)_**

* * *

 ** _(Blast's POV)_**

I never realized how versatile magic could be in this world.

To think that all it really did was teleportation, telekinesis, shields, and energy blasts was really naïve of me.

Right here in Twilight's room, she was testing not one, not two, but twenty FIVE magic spells! Most of those were high caliber and something that I hadn't seen or heard of before.

It would take me a while to learn and master all of those like Twilight, but I'm looking forward to the challenge.

"Come on, Twilight. You can do it!" Spike cheered.

"Okay, here goes." Twilight closed her eyes, and she began concentrating her magic towards Spike. Seconds later, a mustache grew on Spike, and thus the success of the facial hair spell.

"Ha ha! You did it!" Spike drew a checkmark on the list of spells. "That's number twenty five. Twenty five types of tricks, and counting."

"Very impressive, Twilight." I congratulated. She blushed.

"I think this is the best trick so far!" Spike began flexing in front of the mirror. "Helloooo~, Rarity! What's that? Oh, it's nothin'. Just my AWESOME mustache."

I chuckled at Spike's amusing scene. "It takes more than just awesome facial hair to win a woman's heart, kid."

"And as attractive and enticing as you look, it's just for practice and it's got to go." said Twilight. Her horn glowed and so was Spike's temporary facial hair.

"Aw, drats."

Twilight giggled at Spike's disappointment. "So Star Blast, you think you can pull those off?"

"Oh, I can. Just give me a decade and I'll be as good as you." I replied with slight humor to it.

"You're a fast learner, Blast. I can tell that you have potential to be great at magic."

I raised a brow. "Oh? How?"

She giggled lightly. "Well, Speedy Glee told me that you're the top of your class back in your world. So let's say that if you were to fill in my horseshoe, you'd be a fantastic student to the Princess."

I sighed. "That's nice to know. Still, it amazes me that I can actually use magic. Sure it's pretty weak right now, but it's beyond my dreams."

"Oh right, your world doesn't have magic." She remembered.

"Uh… are you guys done talking?" Spike caught our attention. "Twilight? Can we go out and eat something? I'm starving."

"Sure. I'm getting hungry as well." She agreed.

I joined the duo and we head out.

* * *

The morning was pretty normal. The sky was blue, crowd was lively, flowers were in bloom.

Yeah, I'm not convinced. Something's definitely going to happen later.

"Twenty five, Twilight. Twenty five different kinds of tricks, and counting!" Spike said in amazement. "I thought Unicorn ponies were only supposed to have a little magic that matches their special talents?"

I looked at Twilight with a questioning look. I have never heard this one before. "It does?"

She nodded. "It's true. For ponies whose talents are things like cooking, or singing, or solving math problems." Math with magic? That would be pretty useful for Lemuel.

"But what if a Unicorn's talent is, I don't know, magic?" I wondered. Magical talent, not those magic tricks in parties, must be pretty powerful.

"Like Twilight! She knows a TON of magic."

"Oh Spike, stop. I'm sure there are lots of ponies right here in Ponyville that know just as much magic as me." Twilight reminded. Yes, let's be humble here.

"Are you kidding? I don't think there's another Unicorn in all of Equestria with your kind of ability, Twilight."

I found myself agreeing, "Also, you're the one and only protégé of the Princess herself. I doubt that there's another pony as gifted as you."

Twilight's face turned red. I'm guessing she rarely gets praised for her talent by someone else other than Spike.

"GANGWAY!"

"COMING THROUGH!"

Two, fairly young stallions (or should I say colts?) came charging as they ran past us, bringing Spike along the way. Good thing I pushed Twilight aside when I avoided them.

"Spike's friends?" I wondered aloud as I watched them barreling.

"Snips and Snails…" Twilight introduced. "Come on, let's catch up to them."

"Kind of reminds me of Speedy and Silver…" I muttered.

Twilight and I walked towards the three youngsters and asked what the commotion was about.

"Didn't you hear? There's a new Unicorn in town!" the kid with a lazy voice said. I presumed that he was Snails.

"Yeah! They say that she's got more magical powers than any other Unicorn EVER!" said Snips, obviously. Twilight and I looked at each other after his statement.

"Really?" Twilight looked down for a moment.

"No way," Spike disagreed. "That goes to Twilight here!"

"Where is this 'powerful' Unicorn?" I demanded.

"She's here in Town Square!" Snails answered. "Come on!" Snips followed him energetically in anticipation.

"She must be pretty good if they're THAT amazed." I brought up.

"Let's check her out!" Spike declared and we moved along.

Town Square was already crowded with ponies when we arrived. Looks like we weren't the only ones who came to see what this 'powerful' pony can do. We scooted our way to the front of the crowd, where we met the other members of the Elements.

"Come one, come ALL!" A female voice rang out from a customized and designed wagon in front of the Town Hall. "Come, and witness the amazing magic of the great and powerful TRRRRRRIXIE~!"

Suddenly, the wagon transformed into a stage. There was a poof when smoke full of twinkling glitter covered the entire area and appeared a blue unicorn wearing a purple magician's hat and cape full of stars as designs. Her mane was nearly light blue and violet eyes the same as Twilight.

My first impression on her was that she's too flashy.

"Watch in awe, as the GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie, performs the most spectacular feats of magic ever witnessed by pony eyes!" She said dramatically before a round of pyrotechnics lit up the stage.

"My, my, my. What boasting!" I heard Rarity commenting.

"Come on! No pony's as magical as Twili-!" Spike began stuttering and blushing when he realized he was right next to his crush. Oh geez. "Hey Rarity. I-uh…MUSTACHE!" Spike ran away.

"There's nothing wrong with being talented, is there?" asked Twilight.

"Of course there isn't." I replied. "Well… if you're showing it off and liked to rub it in front of everyone's faces, we have problems."

"I agree on you there, Blast." Applejack joined the convo. "Look at her! She's showin' off like a school filly with fancy new ribbons."

I looked back at the stage to see what Applejack was talking about. Trixie did some theatrics when she magically materialized a bouquet of flowers into thin air. She's TOO flashy to me now.

"Just because one has the ability to perform lots of magic does NOT make one better than the rest of us." Rarity stated which made Twilight look dismayed for some reason.

Was she worried about what her friends would think about her talent? At least she wasn't showing it off in front of everyone. She's doing the exact opposite of what Trixie's doing.

"Especially when you got me around being better than the rest of us," Applejack and I glared at Rainbow Dash. "I mean, yeah! Uh…Magic shmagic! Boo!"

Not from afar, I heard the voice of Speedy and Silver. They finally reached the place from where we were standing.

"Sup, guys?" Speedy greeted. "So what's the deal-io here?"

"Oh nothing, just some pony that thinks she's better than the rest of us." Rarity answered in spite.

In the corner of my eye, I noticed that Trixie heard what Rarity had just said.

"Well, well, well, it seems we have some NEIGH sayers in the audience." She said.

I heard Speedy Glee stifling his laughter. "Neigh sayers? Girl, I haven't seen any of your magic tricks but I like you already because of that."

"Thank you. And so I was saying, neigh sayers who are as IGNORANT as to challenge the magical ability of the Great and Powerful Trixie! Do they not know that they are in the presence of the most magical Unicorn in all of Equestria?"

"Just who does she think she is?" said Rarity after she blew a raspberry.

"Yeah! Since we all know that Twilight here is-"

"Spike! Shhh!" Twilight quickly silenced Spike and pushed him out of the crowd.

"Most magical Unicorn?" Silver repeated. "She's basically saying that she's better than everyone."

"Yeah. But I think I know when I'm seeing an 'all bark no bite' kind of person. Her voice alone says it all for me." Speedy agreed as Trixie ignited more flashy pyrotechs.

Rainbow Dash flew up in front of the blue Unicorn. "So great and powerful Trixie, what makes you think you're so awesome anyway?" she questioned.

"Why, only the GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie have magic strong enough to vanquish the dreaded URSA MAJOR!" Fireworks shot up into the sky, and there formed a gigantic bear with a star in the middle of its forehead.

Ah, _Ursa Major._ I get it.

Everypony gasped. "When all hope was lost, the ponies of Hoofington had no one to turn to, but the GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie stepped in. And with her awesome magic, vanquished the Ursa Major and sent it back to its cave deep within the Everfree Forest!"

"Sweet! ~" That settles it!" Snips said.

"Trixie truly IS the most talented most magical most awesome Unicorn in all of Ponyville!" Snails encouraged.

I don't know if I should be offended, since I'm a Unicorn.

"No! In ALL of Equestria!" Snips added.

"How do you know?! You didn't see it! And besides, Twilight-!" Spike exclaimed somewhere but his voice became muffled.

"I bet she doesn't know that we're aliens and saved Equestria when we defeated Nightmare Moon and we have magical, Power Ranger like stones." Speedy whispered.

"Keep quiet, Lem." I whispered back.

"It's true my enthusiastic, little admirers. Trixie is most certainly the best in Ponyville!"

Wow. All the residents were speechless including us. Did she just self-proclaim as the best in the neighborhood? That is downright disrespectful and arrogant.

"Don't believe in the Great and Powerful Trixie?" she asked. "Well then, I hereby challenge you Ponyvillians. ANYTHING that you can do, I can do better. So, any takers? Anyone? Hmm? Or is Trixie destined to be the greatest Equine who has ever LIVED?" and cue another round of pyro.

"This girl is ridiculous!" Speedy looked at me with a bewildered look. "Dude, if I was you right now I would use the Stare at her!"

I sighed as I shook my head. "Don't even bother taking her challenge. It's not worth it."

"Well someone needs to shut her trap. She's all smack!" Silver said.

"Please! She's unbearable!" I heard Spike begging. "You gotta show her! You just gotta!"

"Hmm…How about…YOU!"

Did she just point at me?

"So how about it? Think you can prove the Great and Powerful Trixie wrong?"

I chuckled, "I'm sorry, but I am not doing your challenge."

"What?!" Speedy exclaimed.

Trixie seem amused. "Smart move, because you don't stand a chance with me to begin with, little hayseed."

"Can I punch her, dude?" Speedy raised a hoof. "Please tell me I can punch her? Or at least you could vaporize her with your magic!"

I rolled my eyes and ignored him. Hayseed… I'd gladly let karma do all the work.

"That's it! I can't stand for no more of this!" Applejack stepped up and began marching towards the stage.

"Yeah! Show her AJ!" Spike shouted in encouragement.

"Wooh! We're witnessing history, gentlemen!" Speedy bumped Silver Spur playfully, " _Applejack, first Pony to defeat the loud-mouth Unicorn!_ Headline it tomorrow, people!"

"Ok, don't get riled up, man. You're not the one competing." Said Silver, who was pushing Speedy away gently.

"Can your magical powers do THIS?" Applejack knotted her lasso and began demonstrating some neat tricks with it that the crowd really cheered into. She then tossed it at a nearby Apple tree (which I have never seen before, by the way) to grab an apple and brought it in her mouth and ate it. Everybody was ecstatic. "Beat that, missy!"

"Oh ye of little talent," Trixie responded, taking off her hat with her magic. "Watch and be amazed at the magic of Trixie." She began by using her ability to manipulate AJ's rope. Crazy enough, I already knew what she was planning to do thanks to the random Indian music. She was waving the rope like a snake in front of Applejack as if she was trying to hypnotize her. Trixie used the other end of the rope to grab another apple from the tree. Finally, she tied the rope to AJ's legs and turned her upside down then placing the apple in her mouth.

"Once again, the Great and Powerful Trixie prevails." She said triumphantly as the crowd cheered. AJ hopped away towards us and we helped her out of the binds.

"Thanks," she said after she spat out the apple.

"Jeez, was that really necessary of her?" Silver gave Trixie a mean stare. "She didn't need to embarrass you like that in front of everybody."

Glee clicked his tongue. "It looks like we need someone at her level."

"There's no need to go struttin' around, showin' off like that! That's MY job!" A certain Rainbow-maned flyer announced to Trixie.

"Aaaaand~ Rainbow Dash is our answer. Whaddya know!" Speedy pointed.

RD began to fly through a windmill's propeller, going round and round before she shot up into the sky and puncturing the clouds at an absurd speed. She stopped right in front of the sun before diving back down through the holes she made on the clouds. I almost didn't notice that there were water droplets flowing behind her. She returned back to the stage, the water droplets had hit her, and suddenly a mini-rainbow appeared above her.

"They don't call me RAINBOW and DASH for nothin'!"

Everypony cheered.

"Wow, that's the most amazing thing I've seen in a while." Silver said in amazement. I agreed with him, mouthing a 'Wow' silently.

"Way to go, girlfriend! Whoo!" Speedy cheered femininely. I just pretended I didn't hear that as I shook my head.

"When Trixie is through, the only thing they'll call you is 'Loser'." Trixie's horn shot a beam at Rainbow Dash as the mini-rainbow above began wrapping around her. She made the rainbow spin like a tornado including RD for seconds until she made it stop out of the stage.

"I think…I'm going to be…sick…" was all Rainbow could say, her eyes in a state of daze.

"Seems like any pony with a DASH of good sense would think twice before tussling with the Great and Powerful Trixie." She formed a storm cloud behind RD when AJ helped her up. Rainbow yelped in pain when lightning strikes her from her behind, which the crowd laughed at.

Okay… Trixie may talk big, but she was proving everyone wrong. At this rate, she could be the best like she said she is.

"What we need is another Unicorn to challenge her. Someone with some magic of her own." I heard Spike from behind.

"Yeah! A Unicorn to show this Unicorn who's boss!" Rainbow agreed to the little dragon.

"A real Unicorn-to-Unicorn tussle!" Applejack added.

"Uh…" I heard Twilight with a hesitant tone. If anyone can match Trixie with magic, it's her. But will she?

"Enough. Enough all of you." Rarity cut in. "I take your hint, but Rarity's above such nonsense. Rainbow Dash and Applejack may behave like ruffians, but Rarity conducts herself to beauty and grace."

"Oooh, what's the matter? Afraid you'll get a hair out of place with that rat's nest you call a mane?"

Rarity gasped at Trixie's insult. "IT. IS. ON! You may think you're tough with your so called 'powers', but there's more to magic than just your brutish ways. A Unicorn needs to be more than just muscle," Rarity used her magic to grab the curtain of the stage. She made it spin around her, and after a flash of light, she was in a dress made from the cloth. "A Unicorn needs to have style. A Unicorn's not a Unicorn without grace and beauty."

"Just when I thought that Unicorns are awesome." Speedy instantly looked at me. "You don't believe in Rarity, do you?"

"Obviously her view's different from mine." I replied.

I saw Trixie's face form mischievously.

"Rarity won't let Trixie get the best of her! She's strong, she's beautiful, she's-" Spike backed her up when suddenly, something…strange happened to her. And she knows it.

Most of the audience gasped in horror. I admit, my eyes widened at the change that Trixie had done to her.

"QUICK! I need a mirror! Get me a mirror!" Rarity continued to shriek. "What did she do to my hair?! I know she did something terrible to my hair~!"

"Whaaaat~? Nothing happened to you hair…" Speedy smiled awkwardly.

"Yeah…It 's curly and it has a beautiful violet to it than ever. Heh heh…" Silver joined.

"It's fine!"

"Nothing happened!"

"But…it turned green."

Silver and Speedy groaned. "Seriously, Spike?!"

."…What? It's true!"

"No! Green hair! Not green hair!" Rarity broke down crying and she began to run away. "Such an awful, AWFUL color!"

"Well , I never!" A pony with green hair said angrily. Huh, she kind of looks a lot like Carrot Top…

"Well Twilight, I guess it's up to you!" Spike declared. "Come on. Show her what you're made of!"

"Who, me? I'm nothing special…" Twilight said in denial.

"Yes you are! You're better than her!"

"I'm not better than anyone!"

Trixie laughed, "You think you're better than the Great and Powerful Trixie? You think you have more magical talent? Well come on! Show Trixie what you've got! Show us all~!"

"Who? Me? I'm just your run of the mill citizen of Ponyville. NO powerful magic here…" Twilight said awkwardly. Everyone was looking at her at this point. "I...uh...think I hear my laundry calling. Sorry! Gotta go!" she then took off running. I looked at her fleeing form worriedly. I've got to talk to her later.

"Laundry? We don't even have clothes." Speedy said.

I heard Silver Spur sigh, "Way to point out the obvious, genius. And…did she just make an excuse?"

"Ha! Once again, the Great and Powerful Trixie has proven herself to be the most amazing Unicorn in ALL of Equestria!" she boasted once again. "Was there ever any doubt?"

That was the moment I felt furious.

"Actually, there IS." I spoke up.

Trixie halted, "Oh? Finally gathered enough confidence to face me in the last minute, hayseed?"

"Okay, first and foremost, I would like you to stop calling me 'hayseed'. And the way you talk and belittle those around you makes me sick." I began marching forward the stage to confront her. "Also, I'm still not taking your stupid challenge so calm your ego for a moment, yeah?"

Trixie scoffed. "If you're not here to challenge me then don't waste my time."

I chuckled. "Oh okay, then. Let's just say I'll borrow some of it. You see, your story about how you defeated this...Ursa Major was it? Got me wondering in a lot of aspects I'd like to point out but I'm going straight to the point. Do you have any proof that you defeated this beast?"

The citizens of Ponyville began murmuring.

"I'm sure the town of Hoofington gave you an award like a medal or a trophy, right? Where is it? Not to mention at least a news article or a picture," I gave her a look. "Don't tell me you're just telling lies? Do we have to bring an Ursa Major here to prove yourself and to everypony in Ponyville?"

She opened her mouth, and she started to find words for a comeback. But I heard none. That proved it to me.

"Trixie, come back when you actually did something worth it to be called _great_ and _powerful."_

I simply turned around and excused myself on the way out of this crowd. I was going back to the library.

Ugh, the way I spoke earlier turned out to be dramatic. I'm gonna hear from it non-stop from those two, I'm sure of it.

* * *

 _ **(Speedy's POV)**_

OOOOOOOOHHHH~ SNAP!

That was the most intense thing he's ever done in a while since that morning when we defeated Nightmare Moon! I almost thought he turned into Phoenix Wright for a moment!

The crowd dispersed a minute after Blast left. They were still talking about the fiasco earlier. Oh, and Trixie? Ha! She's still standing at the stage and trying to come up with something! She eventually gave in and transformed the stage into a wagon.

Not gonna lie, that was cool.

So here we are, me and my buddy Shuriken- I mean SILVER Spur, walking towards a diner for some brunch. We would've invited Rob with us, but it looked like the situation with what happened to Twilight seems urgent so we left him.

"Man, I thought everything's going to be peaceful when Gilda left. Then this Trixie chick came along." I started to have a conversation while we walked.

"And only a few days apart, right?" Silver said.

"Yeah. Another day, another episode I guess."

I knew that he rolled his eyes on that one. "Trying to break the fourth wall again?"

"Hey! You never know! Our adventures might be airing on TV back home, or some guy's treating this as a FanFic or something!"

"You know, sometimes I don't understand how your brain works."

I laughed as I hovered above him. "Then you still don't know me, my friend."

We quickly took our seats and ordered food when we arrived. Silver and I continued to chat about Trixie.

"Has it occurred to anyone that she's probably just acting like that because she's a performer?" Silver wondered.

"Woah, never thought of that." I said. The waiter delivered our food (finally!) on the table and we said our thanks. "She's not as amazing as Chris Angel and David Blaine though, even with literal magic. You know if this were the WWE, she would be Roman Reigns."

Silver shrugged, his face had confusion in it. "What's wrestling got anything to do with this?"

"You know, Trixie pushing herself to be the best Unicorn ever while Reigns' getting pushed down our throats as the next WWE face by McMahon. That's some comparison! Not to mention they're both getting major hate."

"But Trixie's getting hate because she's arrogant while Roman's getting all the headlines while being a noobie in wrestling which the fans didn't like. It's not Roman's fault, its Mr. McMahon's fault."

I was about to retort when those two kids we saw earlier who were supporting that show-off came by.

I know it's immature to pick a fight with the younger ones, but what the hell. I'd like to give them a piece of my mind.

"Hey, Hassan. Look at those two dorks."

He glanced back to look at the two unicorns who were buying something.

"Okay…Did you just call those kids 'dorks'?"

"Watch this. Hey you! Ren and Stimpy!"

They turned to my direction as expected.

"Hey, you're that Pegasus who's friend's with the Unicorn that kept saying mean things to the G.A.P.T!" said by the stout and short pony.

"… _G.A.P.T?_ " Silver asked.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie!"

Spur and I shared a look.

"Fanboy alert." We both said at the same time.

"And we're not Ren and Stimpy! I'm Snips and he's Snails!" the kid introduced.

"Yeah…We can see…" Silver said. I noticed that the marks on their butt were the same as their names. Snips got scissors while the tall one has a snail… hence Snails, duh?

"So, what are you kids up to?" I asked.

"Just buying the G.A.P.T a smoothie to quench her thirst!" Snips said, as if it was an honor to had done it.

These kids were completely under her! "Why are you falling for her lameness? She's nothing but a big show-off, bro. You've seen what our friend did to her right?"

"Oh yeah? But can he claim that he defeated an Ursa Major like the Great and Powerful Trixie?" Snips retorted.

I snickered. Believe me, if I were to tell this kid that we came from another dimension and saved this kingdom from an evil pony, I bet he'd join our bandwagon. Still, it's supposed to be a secret among us Elements and to the two Princesses so they wouldn't know anytime soon.

"Not to ruin your fondness of her, but are you two there when she vanquished it?" way to break the ice, SS.

"Well, uh…I uh- n-n-no, but-" Snips continued to stutter.

"But nothing, right? There's no proof." I leaned closer to them. "Unless an Ursa Major actually waltzed right here in Ponyville for the ' _G.A.P.T'_ to defeat like Star Blast said earlier, we are not going to believe to a word she says." I sat down and sniffed the delicious aroma of the Diner's Club Sandwich. Of course, the ham was replaced by hay. Why does it have to be hay?

"Hmm… An Ursa walking up the street eh? Snails, you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Why is it they call it a Flea Market when they don't really sell fleas?" That's a good question, Snails.

"Yeah! Wait, what? Oh, come on!" Snips exclaimed before the two left the place.

"Uh…Lemuel?"

I took a bite of my sandwich, "Yeah?"

"I don't like the glint on that short one's eyes…"

I quickly caught his gist. "Please, they're not THAT stupid to actually bring an Ursa here in town." I bobbed my head as I gestured towards his steaming food. "You know, food tastes bad when you're worrying. So eat up and enjoy brunch."

He seems hassled for a moment before he sighed. "I guess you're right."

"Good!" I said with a smile. I picked up my sandwich once again and opened my mouth ready to take another bite. But I found myself frozen when the thought of those two ACTUALLY bringing an Ursa Major here became stuck in my head. I'm not worried, am I?

I couldn't sit still so I kept fidgeting. Silver noticed this.

"What's your problem?"

"Oh, uh-nothing."

He raised a brow. "You're thinking about what Snips said, aren't you?"

I made a poker face.

He rolled his eyes and made a sigh of irritation. "You and that mouth of yours…"

I thought so, too. Now, where did those two go?

* * *

 ** _(Blast's POV)_**

I knocked on the library's door before entering inside. I looked around the room but there were no signs of Twilight anywhere. She must be in her living room so I climbed up.

"Twilight? Are you there?" I called in front of her bedroom door.

I waited for a few seconds before the door opened. "Hey, Star Blast"

"Hey. I hope you don't mind, but can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Uh…sure." She invited me in. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

"I think you know…"

She sighed. "It's about Trixie, isn't it?"

"Look, no offense but I was honestly bewildered that you looked fragile for a moment back there. That's not like you."

"But I can't help it, Blast." She said, turning away from her book to face me. "Didn't you see how the others hated her bragging? If I go out there and show off my magic, I run the risk of losing them as friends."

I shook my head. "Twilight, just because you're very talented at something doesn't mean that you're a show off. Trixie is using her abilities to try and be the town's center of attention. While you, on the other hand, are the complete opposite. And if you did use your magic to make her realize there's someone better than her, you're just sticking up for your friends."

"There's no difference, Star Blast. I would still be showing off…"

"No, you're not. You are many things Twilight Sparkle, but a show-boat is not one of them."

"…You really think that?"

"Of course I do. If you acted like Trixie then why are you Princess Celestia's student in the first place? You're not her protégé for nothing."

Her face turned into a worried frown. "Oh no, what if they already think I'm worse than Trixie just because I'm the Princess' pupil? What if they already beginning to think that I'm just like her?"

"Twilight, don't think such nonsense. Did the others look wary towards you back when Trixie was doing her show?"

"Well, no…but I'm pretty sure they did on the inside!"

I rolled my eyes at her statement. "Look, I'm sure that the reason they didn't go hostile on you is because they know that magic's a part of who you are. And they like you because of it. I mean, you've studied so hard on this for most of your life so can you imagine the respect they have on you? You are smart, skilled, and a good humble pony through thick and thin. And I'm pretty sure that they are proud to call you their friend… WE'RE proud to call you our friend."

"Star Blast…" she formed a smile. Her eyes started to tear up suddenly that it caught me off guard.

"Oh no, was it something I said? I don't know what to do in front of someone sad." I said

That one made her giggle a bit before she sniffled. "I'm not sad… I'm just happy."

That made me relax and sigh in relief. "If you have something to talk about, don't hesitate and come to any of us."

She nodded. "I will. And thank you."

I smiled at her. "That's what friends do."

"All right, I'll put it under consideration." After that she returned back to the book she was reading. Curious, I peered over her shoulder.

"Are you researching about the Ursa Major?"

"I am. I got intrigued about Trixie's bragging that I couldn't help but do a little reading up on them." She answered.

I hummed in interest. It was nearly twelve noon, and I have nothing to do yet again today. Well, I could always practice my teleportation but studying about the giant bear seems like the best choice right now.

"Hey, I hope you don't mind if I join you."

She shook her head and moved slightly to the side. "Not at all."

I took a seat next to her and scanned the book.

The first thing I saw was the creature's illustration. It had the same appearance as the one in Trixie's fireworks but it was clearer and much more detailed. I read its statistics, and I couldn't help my eyes to widen.

"30 feet long? Nearly 15 tons? And wait… Ursa _MINOR?!_ " I exclaimed in utter shock. "This alone could wipe out an entire town! If this is the minor, then what does the MAJOR look like?"

I felt Twilight's hoof on my shoulder. "Trust me, you don't want to know…"

I gulped. And it lives back in the Everfree Forest? Meters away from Ponyville? For goodness sake, please don't let it come here…

* * *

 ** _(Silver's POV)_**

I swear if those two kids are gonna do what I THINK they're going to do, I'm going to kill Lemuel first before the monster does. If he didn't provoke them, we wouldn't have this crazy search that's been going on for hours!

I am frustrated! The sun was starting to set so I am freaking tired of looking!

"I searched everywhere! The sky, the town, I even dove under the lake yet I still can't find them!" Lemuel announced flying to my direction.

"Well that's just great! And why the hell did you search the sky and the lake? They're both freaking PONIES THAT CAN'T FLY NOR SWIM!"

"Stop shouting! You're pressuring me!"

I stepped on a boulder so hard it crushed. I let out a heaving sigh of aggravation. "We looked everywhere for nearly 6 hours! Where the hell did those two go!?"

Speedy raised his hoof to somehow grab my attention through all the red in my vision. "Bro, if I have to guess, my answer will be the Everfree Forest."

… Shit. That's the only place we have not yet to rummage.

"I mean think about it. We haven't been there for months and I remember that Trixie, quote-unquote, sent the beast back in the Everfree."

The anger I was feeling turned into anxiety and worry. "Why have we only thought about this now? Two little horses exploring that god-damned forest at night?" I gasped from a realization. "What if… they're already gone and got eaten by the Ursa?!"

He grabbed my head with both of his hooves. "Dude! Don't be so negative. We're in a cartoon for KIDS. They're not going to kill them off!"

I snapped his hooves away from my face and gave him a doubtful look. "Are you sure about that?"

"One hundred percent!" he said confidently. "Oh wait. There they are!"

Speedy pointed towards the direction of the forest. He was right! Snips and Snails are alive! And wait a minute, why are they running with those expressions?

"Hey! We've been looking all over for ya!" Speedy said to the young Unicorns.

"Can't talk now!" Snips said, dashing right past us.

"Got a MAJOR PROBLEM!" Snails added, also dashing past us.

Both I and Speedy turned to watch them running away towards Ponyville.

"Well, that was rude." Speedy said. "Why do they look so frightened anyway?"

I felt my eyes shrink at the sudden roar that somehow lifted us from the ground. It could only mean one thing.

"Oh…"

Simultaneously, both I and Lem looked at the path in the forest where Snips and Snails went to. The trees were going down one by one as the birds flew up into the evening sky, disturbed by something…huge. The tremors were becoming a lot stronger as the thing came closer until finally… it showed itself.

Right before our eyes was a beast. Actually no, beast is an understatement. This THING they call an Ursa Major was a FREAKING MONSTER

"…So THAT 'S the Ursa Major."

"No freaking shit, Lem!" I yelled sarcastically. "We have to run!" Boy was I serious, the thing was closing in on us in just mere seconds!

"But it's kinda…cute." He said with a smile. Seriously?!

"MY GOD, THIS IS NOT THE TIME!"

The Ursa was only a few meters away from us at this point. I watched as it lifted its huge paws, with huge, sharp claws.

I swear it was going to swipe it at us. And why the hell are we still standing here?!

"DUCK!"

I quickly tackled Speedy into the ground when the Ursa attacked. It almost freaking caught us!

"Well, NOW do you think it's still cute?!" I questioned loudly.

"I take it back!"

We practically fumbled our way to stand so that we could avoid being squashed by the Ursa's paw that left a crater. We both ran as fast as we could away from the monster.

"I swear, those two Unicorns have another thing coming when I reach them!" said Speedy. "Who in their right minds would bring a monster this size to a town filled with civilians?!"

"Now is not the time to be pointing fingers," I looked back. The Ursa was still following us, bringing down 40-foot trees in its charge. "Because we need to figure out a way to stop the Ursa Major before it destroys the whole town."

"Well…" he began panting. "How about we bring that thing to Trixie?"

"Are you crazy? You're entrusting the town's safety to that illusionist?!"

"It's better than nothing! If she DID defeat this killer bear before, then we have no other choice!"

Damn it. I hate to agree with him, but he was right. We needed to find the damn Trixie pony, and fast.

She lived in some wagon parked at Town Hall, if I remembered correctly. And that was the place we needed to visit.

Upon arriving, we spotted Snips and Snails knocking at Trixie's wagon rapidly, crying for her help. It looked like we had the same idea.

"Hey you!" Speedy called. "Are you two crazy?!"

I halted him with my hoof. "We can talk about that with them later. Where's Trixie?"

As if on cue, I heard her yawn inside the wagon and looked out of her window. "Trixie thought she said that 'the Great and Powerful Trixie do not want to be disturbed'?"

"We have a-uh, _tiny_ problem…" Snips said meekly.

"Actually, it's a BIG one." Snail said with no hesitation whatsoever.

"What is so important that you cannot wait until morning to disturb Trixie?" she demanded irritably.

I heard the Ursa Major's growl not from a far.

"How's that for an answer?" Speedy said bluntly, pointing at the bear that emerged in the woods.

The first reaction that Trixie did was screaming bloodily and run away. I mean, I couldn't blame her but, who wouldn't?

I ordered the two young Unicorns to run away from here, but they kept on following that blue Unicorn, who was just standing in the middle of town square, shaking in her forelegs.

Come to think of it, we need a wide open field for this huge bear so that it wouldn't cause pandemonium throughout Ponyville, and the park would do just right.

It was time to see if Trixie did have what it takes to down an Ursa Major.

But I seriously doubt it.

* * *

 _ **(Blast's POV)**_

"Hey Twilight?"

"Yeah?" she said, not taking her eyes off her book.

"Did you hear a faint roar just now?" I asked. "Not only that, the ground just shook a little bit."

"I didn't feel anything." She informed. She must be really absorbed in those books. "Must be your imagination?"

I could've sworn I felt it…

Okay, the thought of an Ursa Major rampaging Ponyville brought chills down my spine. I regretted that I read the biographies of that creature. The image in those books alone made me all worked up.

A torrent of loud knocks bolted me up in sudden fright. I sighed as I recollected myself and opened the door.

Spike came in, facing us with a panicky expression.

"Spike? Are you okay?" I asked worriedly.

"I'm fine!" he turned to the mare reading. "Twilight! You've got to come, quick-!"

"I already told you before, Spike." Twilight responded. "I am NOT gonna show-off Trixie."

"No, you don't understand! It's-"

Spike was interrupted with an earth-shaking growl. My body tensed up almost instantly.

"Uh…is that what I think it is?"

"…majorly."

Well, we're screwed. "Let me guess, Ursa Major?"

Spike nodded. "Mhmm."

Twilight and I exchanged looks.

"Is there something in those books that can tell us how to deal with those?" I asked.

"The books never said anything about its weaknesses." Twilight began scanning through pages. "In fact, these books barely hold enough information about the Ursa's. Apparently, the researchers were too scared even by just observing its habitat that the information they had gathered is minimal."

"Damn. It'll have to do, and we have to do this our own way." I mused.

I just hoped that Spike's 'Ursa Major' was actually a Minor one, since I was pretty sure that he had no idea on what it actually looked like.

* * *

 ** _(Silver's POV)_**

It finally managed to corner us. We backed away as it slowly advanced, baring its sharp fangs.

Apparently, using violence wasn't the best idea. While Trixie, Snips and Snails were cowering on their hooves, Lem and I tried to inflict as much harm as possible to the giant monster to fend it off or scare it away.

But the only damage we did to it was a slight tickle.

We could have run away, tell the town to evacuate, gather those element thingies and blast it out of existence with the rainbow laser, but we were too exhausted to even walk.

Let me say it again. It finally managed to corner us.

"Great and Powerful Trixie, you've got to vanquish the Ursa!" Snips told.

"Yeah! Vanquish so we could watch!" Snails agreed.

"It took a LOT of trouble to get that thing here!"

"WHAT?!" Me, Speedy, and also Trixie exclaimed in disbelief.

"Are you out of your little pony minds?!" Trixie stressed. I knew that she was upset.

"I freaking knew it! Why the hell would you bring that thing here?!" I demanded. If it's some stupid reason, I'll riot.

"But, she's the Great and Powerful Trixie!"

"Yeah, remember? She defeated an Ursa Major!"

"You two didn't answer my question!" _and what the hell?!_

The Ursa Major roared in front of us, as if it was saying 'I'm right here, you know?'

"I don't care if you defeated it once before or not!" Speedy yelled. "Just take that thing out!"

"Uh, okay…" Trixie swallowed the lump in her throat. "Stand back…"

Her horn had glow a pinkish color, and among the wreckage of her wagon, the rope that she used against Applejack swayed towards the Ursa and she constricted it.

"Ah, piece of cake!"

Unfortunately, it wasn't. The only part of the bear that Trixie managed to constrain was… two fingers, which it used to snap the rope with ease.

Well that sucks.

"Come on, Trixie!"

"Yeah, stop goofing around and vanquish it, eh?"

I glared at the two Unicorns. The dangers they had gone through just to watch Trixie outclass a monster. I've never seen such reckless behavior, and if you have a friend like Speedy, that's saying something.

I could feel the nervousness emanating out of Trixie. Her horn lit once more, and a thunder cloud conjured on top of the Ursa Major.

A small one, that is.

"Well, that was a dud." said Snails, with the hint of disappointment.

"Yeah! Pffft, come on! Where's all the cool explosions, and smoke and, stuff like earlier you know?" Snips added.

I was completely losing my temper. My eyes were twitching non-stop at these two. If Speedy didn't interrupt, who knows what would happen.

"Oh my god! Your expectations are so STUPID!" he said angrily.

We heard a loud _zap!_ We looked up at the Ursa Major, examining the huge charred spot on its hindquarters.

Obviously, it did not like it when it roared at us.

So the five of us, two young ponies, two tired stallions, and a phony pony, were under the Ursa Major's complete mercy.

The only thing I could do was put on a brave face.

* * *

 ** _(Blast's POV)_**

I could already see the Ursa from here. I guessed that it's somewhere near Town Square.

And as if we were in luck, it's not an Ursa Major. The height of the big bear terrorizing the town was definitely not over a hundred feet tall. The dark blue, transparent and starry color of its body and the little lone star on its forehead proved it.

It began climbing up buildings, smashing it with its weight. A bunch of ponies came out of their houses and gasped at the sight of the Ursa. Caused by the dire situation, a stampede of frightened ponies had formed in the middle of the street and ran towards to where we are.

I closed my eyes as we came in contact with the group, but fortunately we went out unharmed.

A few blocks later, we finally saw the Ursa Minor in person. To my surprise, Silver Spur and Speedy Glee were fighting it!

"Guys! What's going on?!" I yelled, but they were too occupied to respond.

"We brought an Ursa to town!" A voice gloated. I looked at my left and found the young Snips and Snails.

"You WHAT?"

"Don't worry." Snails said with a care-free expression. "The Great and Powerful Trixie will vanquish it!"

"The two of you have a REALLY bad memory!" I heard Speedy yell while he evaded the huge swipes of the Ursa.

I sighed tirelessly. What gave these two Unicorns that idea?

Speaking of Trixie, she looked rather anxious.

Oh yeah, I told her that if she didn't prove herself, she had no right to call herself the 'Great and Powerful'. The Ursa's here, so why wasn't she doing something to tame it? Unless, she already did but she couldn't, based on what Speedy said earlier about Snips and Snails having a bad memory.

Trixie's mouth was trembling, until finally she said, "I can't…"

"WHAT?!" Snips and Snails said in utter surprise. So the truth finally came out in the face of danger.

"I can't. I never have." Trixie admitted. "No one can vanquish the Ursa Major. I made the whole story up to make me look better."

"MADE IT UP?!"

"Well, DUH?!"

"Speedy! Just focus on distracting the bear!" Silver yelled at him.

I said, "There's no need to! Twilight and I have a plan!"

"About time!" Speedy said in relief.

So Speedy flew down and Silver ran away from the reaches of the bear, which stood up on its two legs and let out a mighty, frightening roar that echoed throughout Ponyville.

From the corner of my eye, Spike was gesturing us to proceed.

I gulped, "Well, you ready Twilight?"

"Not really…" she muttered. Everypony was hiding in their homes, so the only ones that the Ursa could see was us.

Even with the expectation that her friends would think she's showing off her magic and begins to hate her (even though it isn't going to happen), she marched forward.

I opened the saddle bag I was wearing and took out the book where all things were concerned to the Ursa's. I opened up the page where the behavior of this 'baby' was stated.

"There's got to be something useful around here…" I mumbled. I scanned through the words. "Here. ' _Upon the observations of Dr. Trotson…_ ' Twilight! Try creating a lullaby!"

She nodded. Her horn glowed as she started to use her magic to create a gentle breeze. I was beginning to hear a soft lullaby. I had no idea how, but she definitely used Number Sixteen in her list of magic.

When the Ursa Minor heard the lullaby, its expression changed into a sleepy one.

Our plan took off with a good start.

"All right," I continued to read the research. "This is a tough one! We need something big to replicate a baby bottle! Like… the water tower!"

"On it!" The aura on Twilight's horn glowed tenfold. She grabbed the water tower and dumped the water in a lake.

"You okay Twilight?" I asked.

"I'm fine…" She said through gritted teeth.

"Okay… We need to fill it up with milk somehow…"

"I know just the place!"

She unscrewed the lid of the tower and ran it through a barn. I could hear the moo of the cows and some really weird noises. The tower was filled with milk once it got out.

"Woah, that's new." Spike said in awe.

"We're almost done. We just need to carry it back to its home and it's all over." I said.

"A lullaby? Milk?" Speedy asked. "It's almost like you're treating it like a baby!"

"I'll explain later," I said. "Just give us a minute."

I saw the Ursa Minor beginning to doze off. It was about to fall over, and Trixie was in the way.

I needed to act quickly. She maybe a mean pony, but she didn't deserve to die this way. Before I could conjure my magic, I saw the Ursa stopped from timbering down and it was coated in a purple aura.

Twilight was holding this giant on her own. But can she handle it? She was already creating the breeze that kept the lullaby playing, and she's carrying a huge container made of metal and gallons of milk.

Just how strong is her magic? I thought.

I looked at her, worrying. She was determined to end this quick.

She raised the little dipper up in the air as she could. Twilight carried the bottle over to the Ursa, and it began to suck on it.

With every amount of strength and will power, she carried it over town and safely back into its cave. Once it was done, she began panting.

"Now THAT is pretty Great and Powerful!" Speedy commented.

"You and Twilight saved Ponyville." Silver told me.

I shook my head. I could hear the cheers of the ponies around me.

"Star Blast," I heard Twilight's voice beside me. "I did it…"

"You did, and it was impressive." I said with a smile.

"I did it…In front of everyone in Ponyville…" I noticed that she wore an anxious expression.

"Heavens to Betsy!" I heard Applejack exclaim in the crowd. "We knew you had ability, but not THAT much."

"I'm sorry. Please, please, please don't hate me."

I blinked at Twilight's apology.

"Hate you? Why, whatever do you mean darling?" Rarity asked.

"You just saved Ponyville with your awesome magic! Why are you apologizing?" Speedy pointed out.

"Well, I know how much you all hated Trixie showing off with her magic tricks, and I just thought-"

"Woah, woah, woah! Magic's got nothing to do with it!" Rainbow Dash interrupted her. "Trixie's just a loud mouth!"

"Most unpleasant." Rarity added.

"All hat and no cattle." Applejack declared.

"You can say that again…" Silver said, glaring at Trixie.

"So…you don't mind my magic tricks?"

"Your magic is a part of who you are, Sugarcube." AJ responded kindly. "And we like who you are. We're proud to have such a powerful and talented Unicorn as our friend."

"And after whooping that Ursa's hindquarters, we're even prouder!" Rainbow Dash enlightened.

"You are?" asked Twilight, but now with a much more relieved face. The three mares agreed.

I couldn't help but laugh at the coincidence. "See? It just like what I told you earlier."

She nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I can't believe I got worried over nothing."

"Wow, Twilight! How'd you guys know what to do with that Ursa Major?" Spike wondered.

"Well, that's what I was doing when Star Blast came over to check up on me. I guess I can say that I was a little intrigued that I couldn't help but do a little reading."

"So it IS possible to vanquish an Ursa Major all by yourself?"

"Yeah! You kicked ass and you defeated it like it was just a baby." Speedy said. "That reminds me, you owe us an explanation with that whole lullaby and milk thing, Blast."

I did remember owing them an explanation. "That's because it IS a baby."

He blinked. "So…what you're saying is…?"

"I'm saying that it wasn't a Major. It was an Ursa MINOR."

"That was just a BABY?" Trixie questioned. I saw the surprise in her face.

"Woah, hold up!" Speedy held his hooves up. "So you mean that the huge, KILLER bear that had been trying to kill us the whole night was a BABY?"

I shook my head, "It wasn't trying to kill you. At least not on purpose, but the behavior of an Ursa Minor is no different from a baby pony." I think. I haven't seen a baby pony yet but I'm sure it's like a human baby.

"It was just cranky because SOMEONE woke it up." Twilight explained, then gave a scolding look at Snips and Snails.

I noticed that Silver and Speedy were giving them the most frightening glare. I could tell that two must be pretty angry.

"Well, if that was an Ursa Minor, then what's an Ursa MAJOR look like?" Spike asked nervously.

"You don't wanna know." Twilight said after thinking and hesitating for a moment.

Trixie walked over to Twilight. I wondered what she was going to do now. "Ha! You may have vanquished an Ursa Minor, but you will never have the amazing, show-stopping ability of the Great and Powerful Trixie!" she used a smoke screen to block our vision for a few seconds, but even a pony with a sight disability could see her running away out of town.

I somehow hoped that she learned a lesson out of this.

"Why that little…!"

"Let her go, Rainbow." I told her. "She's not worth the trouble."

"Going somewhere?" I heard Speedy's voice. I turned around and saw him blocking Snips and Snails.

"Don't you two dare try and sneak out on us after what you'd done." Silver scolded.

Snips laughed nervously, "We're sorry that we woke up the Ursa Minor…"

"But you still haven't told us why!"

"We just wanted to see some AWESOME magic!" Snails replied.

"Yeah! And the way that she vanquished the Ursa Minor was awesome!"

Twilight walked over to them and gave the two a stern look. I wouldn't be amused either.

They bowed down, "We deserve whatever punishment you give us…"

"For starters, you can clean up this mess." She gestured at Town Square. "And… what do you think, Blast? Should I give them number twenty five?"

Number twenty five? The 'facial hair' spell?

The way that she asked me that question sounded like she wanted to terrify the two kids. I kinda joined in.

"Hmm… You know what? They DO deserve number twenty five after all this." I said.

"Hey! I deserve number twenty five, too!" Spike exclaimed.

Snips and Snails looked at each other and wondered. They had no idea what was coming.

"I think you're right." Twilight began to cast her magic. Snips and Snails were trembling as they closed their eyes, anticipating the unknown. Spike only held out his face and waited. An aura covered their muzzles, or in Spike's case his snout, and with a quick _poof!_ , they had mustaches.

"Sweeeet~!"

Twilight giggled. "Now, the two of you promise me that you will never do such a thing ever again."

"We promise!" Snips and Snails both announced.

"Good. It's getting pretty late, so the two of you go home and get some sleep." Twilight said. "I'll have someone to keep an eye on you to make sure you're doing your work starting tomorrow."

"Yes ma'am!" they saluted before trotting away home.

She yawned. "Looks like another lesson learned. C'mon, let's go back as well."

I nodded. "I guess we should."

Twilight started to walk her way home, with Spike who climbed up her back.

Before I took a step, Speedy began to stomp his way in front of me with a sour face.

I raised a brow in question. I looked at my left and observed Silver, who was in a slouching position which kind of reminded me of Eeyore, walking miserably.

I won't even bother asking why.

* * *

 ** _(Speedy's POV)_**

I can't believe I got my butt whooped by a baby…

* * *

 ** _(Silver's POV)_**

I can't believe I almost died because of some cranky monster toddler…

* * *

 ** _(Blast's POV)_**

 _The next day…_

"Dear Princess Celestia, I have learned a very valuable lesson about friendship. I was so afraid of being thought off as a show-off that I was hiding a part of who I am. My friends helped me realize that it's okay to be proud of your talents, and there are times when it's appropriate to show them off especially if you're standing up for your friends."

I sipped my cup of coffee, "So you finally admit that you're the most talented Unicorn in all of Ponyville, huh?"

"Well, yeah. But it's nothing to brag about." She responded.

"What's there to brag when all of Ponyville knows it?" Spike mused, eating his pancakes. The mustache was still attached to him, too.

"True, but what about you? How did it go with Rarity? Did she like your mustache?" I asked playfully.

He looked disappointed. "Nah, she didn't go for the mustache."

"You know Spike, that mustache has nothing to do with who you really are. Maybe, you should try to just being yourself?" Twilight suggested.

"Or maybe, the mustache wasn't enough! Maybe if I have a mustache AND a beard!"

Twilight groaned, "Spike, not this again…"

"Okay, imagine me with a nice, long fu-manchu type of beard. Or maybe a goatee! Oh, no maybe a-"

"Spike, just eat your pancakes." Twlight said annoyed.

It didn't stop him though. Twilight continued to bicker with Spike who kept on suggesting styles to make him look good to impress Rarity. I chuckled as I watched them and drank my coffee.

* * *

 _Author's Note!_

 _Finally got this thing uploaded! Man, doing multiple POV's is hard, but at least that makes this story different from the rest, right?_

 _Next up: Dragonshy! So I guess I'll be expected to write more FlutterBlast (lol) It's been a while since those two got together._

 _Hope you all liked it!_ _As always, Fav it! Follow it! Review and tell me what you think!_

 _Until the next chapter! **LUMINOUS FADING AWAY...**_

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT MY THREE OC'S!**


	11. HTGROAD

**_The Misadventures of Ponified Friends_**

 ** _Chapter 10: How to Get Rid of a Dragon (Dragon Shy)_**

* * *

So, it had been over a week since the Ursa 'Major' incident that momentarily caused panic in Ponyville. During those days the townsfolk helped each other in dealing with damages as Snips and Snails did exactly what Twilight told them to do: Cleaning the mess.

They maybe young, but I gotta say that it was impressive that it only took them half the day to finish their job, much to the dismay of Speedy who volunteered to look after those two. I made sure to keep an eye on him so that he wouldn't do anything cruel or harsh to those kids (He was still upset that time). Unicorn magic proved to be the best help we could get.

Then days after that, now that the Town has fully recovered (repairs were blindingly fast), everything pretty much went back to normal. Speedy with his weather duties, Silver harvesting at the Apple Orchard, and as for me? Well… same old thing. I really needed something to do to keep me busy. I love books, but when you've read about a ton of them in almost every single day, my brain and my eyes may just overheat from all the information. I'm not as gifted as Twilight who could finish a single book in merely an hour if she wanted to, nor do I have the ability to break the laws of physics and logic like Pinkie Pie.

As I was walking around town after shopping for groceries, I spotted Fluttershy carrying a bunch of paper bags full of vegetables and weirdly, a bucket of earthworms hooked on her hoof.

I quickly helped her carry the load. This was the first time that I talked to her since Gilda's Party. I asked her how and what she was doing today, revealing that most of the food she's carrying was for the critters at her home. The next thing I knew was that I offered her my assistance. We went to the library for a bit to drop off my groceries and we head out to her home.

She led me to a cozy looking cottage that had a grassy roof textile. There was a small stream of clean and clear water under a small bridge that crosses in front of the cottage. I then noticed that there were a bunch of burrows, nests, and bird houses surrounding the area.

This was Fluttershy's home. And if you take out the burrows, nests and add a bit of modernization, THIS would be my dream home when we return back in our world.

She had all kinds of animals in here from herbivore to carnivore, oh, and a bunch of insects too. She truly loves animals, I guess.

After an hour feeding the animals were almost over. Fluttershy, the expert that she is, took care of most of them. I find this activity very easy to do, since the critters here are nice and cute. It all came down to one particular bunny, though.

"All right, Mr. Angel. It's a very delicious carrot, no?" I said nicely. I didn't want to provoke this spoiled bunny again.

Fluttershy flew down after feeding the birds in the tree branch above me. "Thank you again Star Blast for helping me feed the little animals."

"Glad to help out, Fluttershy." I smiled. I noticed that Angel was eating his carrot way too fast.

"Don't eat too fast now, Angel Bunny. You don't want to get a tummy ache now, do you?" Fluttershy said to her pet.

Angel stopped eating, giving her a deadpan look. He dropped the carrot down and dusted his paws.

I raised an eyebrow, "I think you should eat more than the tip of the carrot, Angel." Do you know how long it took to find that perfect carrot just so he could eat?

Instead of continuing to finish his meal, Angel hopped away from us.

Fluttershy then bit the carrot off the ground, "But it's not playtime yet." She flew after the bunny, which led her to an open field. I followed and caught up with them.

Angel crossed his paws and turned his back at his master, eyes closed and chin held high. Fluttershy really spoiled this mammal.

"I know you want to run, but just three more bites?" Fluttershy said.

Angel shook his head.

"Two more bites?"

He shook his head yet again.

"One more bite?" Fluttershy pushed the carrot closer to Angel. "Pretty please~?"

The next thing he did was kick the carrot, which I barely dodged. I glared at the rude-behaving bunny. It responded with a raspberry, sticking his tongue out.

Fluttershy sighed.

"I hope you don't mind me asking but, just how did you raise Angel?" I asked curiously.

Before she could respond, she was interrupted by a nearby cough. We looked around and saw Angel covering his mouth.

"Oh my goodness, are you okay?" Fluttershy asked her bunny. Angel coughed.

"Are you coughing because there's a carrot stuck in your throat?" It was my turn to ask. Angel coughed again.

"Do you need some water?"

Angel Bunny emphasized his cough. What the heck was this bunny saying?

That's when I smelled something burning. I inhaled the scent suddenly and I too coughed and covered my mouth and nose with my hoof. In my vision, I saw black clouds up in the sky. No wait, those weren't clouds, it was a trail of smoke pouring from a snowy mountain.

"Are you…talking about that?" I pointed. Angel suddenly threw a carrot at my face and I winced. "Well, why didn't you just say so?"

I heard Fluttershy gasp when she observed the scenery. "Why is there a giant cloud of scary black smoke?"

"It's coming from that mountain over there too." I said. "and it's heading towards Ponyville as well. We should warn the town."

"Of course! Let's go!"

We quickly galloped towards Ponyville, agreeing to check the park first. It was Saturday, so lots of ponies must be hanging out in this place.

"Help! Help! Please?" Fluttershy tried to grab the attention of the crowd, but it was either they couldn't hear her voice or they were too wrapped up to whatever it is they were doing. "Help! There's-there's a horrible cloud of smoke!"

Okay, it was the former. Her voice was too soft to hear. "It's headed this way and-aaah!" A ball flashed over her suddenly.

"Fluttershy! Are you alright?" I asked and she nodded that she was. I looked at the mare who suddenly came out of nowhere, bouncing the ball on her head.

"Don't be such a scaredy pony." said Rainbow Dash. "It's just me! Future Equestria Ball Bouncing record holder!"

"This calls for a celebration!" I got startled abruptly by Pinkie Pie's declaration. They've got to stop doing that…and this was no time to celebrate.

"No Pinkie Pie! This is no time for a celebration!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "This is a time for panic, for-"

"Oh! I'm gonna need balloons! One for everypony in Ponyville" Pinkie interrupted her before hopping away gleefully.

Fluttershy began to chase her, "But there's smoke! And when there's smoke there's fire, and-!" Pinkie stopped and therefore causing Fluttershy to crash behind her. It sounded like she just got hit by steel!

Pinkie started to count everypony around us, unaware that Rainbow Dash was in a calculating stupor as well. Rainbow lost count of the ball bouncing. "Pinkie Pie! Now I have to start over!"

"No, we ALL have to start over! In a new village! Because ours is going to be-!"

I tapped her shoulder lightly to grab her attention, "Fluttershy, now aren't you exaggerating a little bit?"

She looked down. "I-I'm sorry, but this is an emergency! I just wanted everypony to-"

"LISTEN UP!"

Okay, what is it this time? We all turned our attention towards Twilight at the park's bridge.

"Smoke is spreading all over Equestria!" Twilight informed which caused the ponies to exclaim and panic in worry. All over Equestria? It hasn't even arrived in Ponyville yet. Or was it just me?

"That's what I've been trying to tell you!" Fluttershy yelled, but still not loud enough… Her voice sounded pretty normal.

"But don't worry. I've just received a letter from Princess Celestia informing me that it is not coming from a fire." Twilight continued.

"Oh, thank goodness." Fluttershy said in relief.

I didn't like where this news was going.

"It's coming from a dragon."

Everypony gasped in horror, including Fluttershy.

"A…d-dragon?"

I sighed. Not another monster problem.

* * *

I was pretty surprised and scared how calm and quiet I am about the fact that a dangerous dragon was just nearby our place. Sure, Spike's a dragon, but he was pretty harmless and an ally.

Twilight told all the bearers of the Elements of Harmony to gather round the library to discuss the smoke problem. Everyone was present except Speedy and Silver. Why are they always tardy in an emergency?

"What in the name of all thing's cinnamon swirls is a full grown dragon doin' here in Equestria?" Applejack wondered.

"Sleeping." Twilight replied while she was gathering a bunch of books. The others expressed their confusion.

"According to Princess Celestia, he's taking a nap. He's snoring and it is what causing all this smoke."

"He should really see a doctor! That doesn't sound healthy at all." Pinkie Pie said.

"Well, at least he's not snoring FIRE." Rarity said in relief.

"So…what are we supposed to do about this?" I brought up.

"I'll tell ya' what we're gonna do: Give him the boot!" Rainbow Dash proceeded to showcase her uh, 'fighting skills', while Twilight was preventing her to develop collateral damage. Rainbow then accidentally kicked a stallion bust made of wood and flew towards the entrance of the library.

That was the moment the two arrived.

"Hey guys! Everyone's saying that there's a drago-OW!"

"Oops…" Rainbow laughed awkwardly. "Sorry, Silver."

"It's fine…It's fine…" Silver groaned in pain. "There is news that there's a dragon in a mountain nearby! Is that true?"

I nodded, "We're just having a meeting on how to deal with it. And by the way…what the heck happened to you, Lem?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing. My eyes just got sore that's all."

I blinked, "Why?"

He chuckled. "Funny story. I thought that the stupid smoke in the sky was a storm cloud and when I flew through it, my eyes just got stingy and itchy, I couldn't breathe and got a coughing fit, then badda-bing-badda-boom, here I am."

"Really? Jeez, you got to be more careful."

"I'm alright. I'll just wash myself and I'll be right as rain." He said reassuringly. "So what did you guys talk about while we were gone?"

"We just started so you didn't miss anything," said Twilight. "and Rainbow, using violence won't work against the dragon unless you wanted to be a roasted Pegasus at the end of the day."

"Then what do you suggest we do, Twilight?" asked Rainbow.

"We need to ENCOURAGE him to take a nap somewhere else. Princess Celestia has given us this mission, and we must NOT fail. If we do, Equestria will be covered in smoke in the next one hundred years!"

The others gasped in horror; I was a little taken aback by the presumption as well.

"Talk about getting your beauty sleep." Rarity commented.

Speedy laughed at the statement, "Good one there, Rarity."

"All right, everypony. I need you to gather supplies quickly." Twilight announced then wore her saddle bag. "We've got a long journey ahead of us. Let's meet back here in less than hour."

"OK girls and boys, you heard her! The fate of Equestria is in our hooves! Do we have what it takes?!"

Everypony exclaimed their agreement before dispersing out to get ready. Although, I kind of noticed Fluttershy being a little hesitant.

"The three of you should get ready as well." Twilight said to us.

I nodded. "You heard her, guys. Let's get ready."

"Wait, we're actually leaving NOW?" Silver asked as we trotted upstairs to our room.

"Of course. Weren't you listening? We need to stop the dragon before his smoke covers all of Equestria."

"Uh, shouldn't we devise a plan or something in this situation?"

"We already have one. Encouraging the dragon to leave and sleep somewhere else. I just hope that it's a reasonable one, though."

"Dude! You're being cowardly all of a sudden!" Speedy intervened. "Aren't you like the Element of Bravery or something?"

"First of all, it's VALOR. Secondly, who WOULDN'T act cowardly about facing a dragon? This is probably the first time we'll ever encounter one!"

"No, it isn't. We saw Steven Magnet when we first got here."

I sighed. "Speedy, Steven is a Sea Serpent. They're different. Also, Spike's the first dragon we met."

"Potato, Tomato~!" that's not the correct saying but whatever… "Hey! What about Spike? He's a dragon yet you aren't afraid of him."

"Because he's a BABY and he's FRIENDLY." Silver reasoned. "I bet the dragon we will definitely meet will surely be terrifying as hell!"

I opened the door of our room, "All right, what do we need?"

"Definitely food and water." Speedy said.

"Sleeping bags too, if we wound up in that mountain overnight." Silver added.

"Okay. Also, first aid is necessary so both of you grab one in the kitchen." I ordered. "Anything else?"

We were then met by silence.

"Hey! We don't have any bags like the one Twilight was using!" Speedy exclaimed.

"You're right. We don't have saddle bags…"

The three of us heard someone knocking on our door. It opened and we were greeted by Twilight.

"I almost forgot," She said with a smile. "I'm guessing you're going to need these."

We tilted our heads in confusion at first, but our faces were filled with astonishment when she revealed her surprise. With her magic, she held three saddle bags with three different themes. One was colored gold, one was colored silver, and another which was colored green. It also had three different marks on each saddle bag. OUR marks.

"Sorry that I've forgotten to give these to you three. I got kind of busy these past few weeks."

"Is that really ours?" I asked.

"Of course! It even has your Cutie Marks on it. I got Rarity to customize it for you."

"Our own saddle bags!" Speedy said cheerfully. "Mine looks awesome!"

Twilight giggled at Speedy's childish enthusiasm before she distributed our saddle bags. "I'm glad you liked it, Speedy."

"I never thought I would find myself amazed to something like a bag." Silver admitted with an amused smile. I kind of agreed with him.

"Thank you, Twilight. We truly appreciated this." I thanked.

"No problem." She said before turning. "Meet me downstairs once you're done packing." We nodded.

Once she was gone, we were then met by silence again.

"So…we still have twenty minutes. Wanna play Snakes and Ladders?" Speedy suggested randomly.

I gazed at him in bemusement. "Seriously?"

* * *

 _(20 minutes later)_

"All right gang, listen up! I'm mapping out the fastest route, but we've all got to keep a good pace if we expect to make it up the mountain by night fall." Twilight announced, and why were we all in a single file like soldiers? "The dragon is in that cave in the very top."

"Looks pretty cold up there." Applejack observed.

"You bet it is! The higher you go, the chillier it gets!" RD said in excitement.

"Yeah, talk about getting your beauty sleep." Speedy chortled. "Oh man, I'll never get tired of that!"

I shook my head, "What is so funny about that?"

"Okay…Well, it's a good thing I brought my scarf!" Rarity pulled out a pink striped scarf from her bag.

"Ooh, pretty!" Pinkie Pie complimented.

RD scoffed, "Oh yeah, THAT'LL keep you nice and cozy."

While everyone was busy, I looked up at the mountain and watched as the smoke became thicker. More smoke was puffed out of the cloud in every second. Was this really how dragon's sleep in this world?

I noticed how Fluttershy looked nervous, looking up at the mountain also.

"Fluttershy, is something bothering you?" I asked.

"I-I don't know, Star Blast. I think I should just stay here in Ponyville and know how things are well here…"

"What? But you HAVE to come!" Twilight heard Fluttershy's statement. "Your way with wild animals will surely come in handy."

"I don't think I-"

"Don't worry about your friends in the meadow. Spike's got it covered while you're gone." Twilight informed. Spike arrived with a bunch of small critters.

"You can count on me!" Spike said confidently. Angel Bunny suddenly started to tap his foot rapidly on Spike's head and the small critter seized the moment to get away from Spike. "Hey! Wait!"

"I don't think he's up to the task, but maybe…but…but…" Fluttershy tried to reach out as Twilight trotted away. She let out a terrified whimper.

"Fluttershy, we're all going to be fine." I said to her reassuringly.

"Yeah! If Silver had the guts to join this quest, then so can you!" Speedy suddenly joined in.

"Hey, it's not like I wanted to do this out of my own decision but because it's necessary and a duty." Silver pointed out.

"But, I might slow you down and the others…" Fluttershy said nervously.

"You're not going to slow us down. Once you get the hang of this, I'm sure you'll be alright."

Fluttershy sighed, knowing that she would not get out of this adventure. We were startled when she started freaking out and jumped in the bush shivering.

"Fluttershy! What's wrong?" I asked worriedly.

Her trembling body slowly came out of the bush.

"Oh, it's just my shadow…" she said with a blush.

"You're afraid of your own shadow…" Speedy said. "She's afraid of her own shadow." The three of us traded baffled looks.

"Alright everyone! Move out!" Twilight declared. The other mares galloped as they followed Twilight and dragged Fluttershy along with them.

"That pony is the definition of innocence..." Silver and I agreed with Speedy. I could tell that this was going to be a long trip with the way she's acting.

We arrived at the foot of the mountain that took us about an hour and a half. The earth began to quake when we heard a loud snore from up top as we stared at it.

"Woah, what was that?" Rainbow asked.

"I'm pretty sure that's the dragon snoring." Speedy said.

"I-It's so…high." Fluttershy said fretfully.

"Well it IS a MOUNTAIN." Rainbow stated the obvious. "I'm gonna fly up there and check it out! Hey Speedy, wanna race?"

"Ha! Not if I get there first!" Speedy issued.

Before they could fly, they were both stopped by Applejack.

"Hold on now! I think we should all go up together, safety in numbers and all."

"And this isn't the time to play around, you two." I said. "We're in serious matters."

RD crossed her hooves in disappointment. "Oh, alright…"

"We should hurry up, as well." Twilight said. "The dragon's smoke will cover more of Equestria if we slack off for too long, so let's get going."

We all agreed and started to climb the rocky slopes. It was a miracle that we didn't slip off considering how smooth the surface of the rocks was.

"I hear that the only thing that sparkles more than the dragon's scales are the jewels they use to build their nest. Oh, If I play my cards right, I might be able to convince him to part with a few!" I heard Rarity share her desire above me.

"Welcome to my cave, Rarity! Care for a diamond? RAAAWR~!" Was Pinkie impersonating a dragon? Did they sound like that? I'm confused. Well, the others laughed along with Pinkie Pie though.

"Guys! This is no laughing matter!" Twilight scolded, continuing onward.

"Oh, let us have some fun, Twilight." Speedy said as he hovered above us. "Considering the danger that we will definitely face, joking around's probably one of the things that will keep us sane in this adventure."

Twilight sighed. "Anyway, Fluttershy, you're the expert on wild creatures. What do you think the dragon will be like?" Twilight halted when she waited for a response. "Fluttershy?"

We all looked back and saw Fluttershy still at the bottom of the mountain, hiding.

"Hey! What are you waiting for, an invitation?!" Rainbow called.

"Ooh, I think I have one in my bag!" Pinkie Pie literally brought an invitation. Also, was the surprise confetti really necessary? I almost slipped!

"I-It's so… so… steep." Fluttershy whimpered.

"Uh, I don't mean to sound rude but you can always fly like Rainbow and Speedy." Silver told her.

"Go, Fluttershy! Flap those wings!" Pinkie cheered in encouragement.

"O-okay…" We all watched as Fluttershy started to fly, but before she could get any higher the dragon snored again loudly. It instantly froze Fluttershy midway, and her wings snapped back in its folded state before she fell back down on the ground like a cat.

Speedy whistled, "All we needed was Goofy's cry. Heh heh."

"Ugh, we don't have time for this!" Twilight exclaimed.

I sighed as Fluttershy was struggling to open up her wings in fright. I walked towards Twilight.

"Can I borrow your map for a minute?" I asked.

She raised a questioning look, "Why?"

"To find a different route. I can't bear watching Fluttershy struggling like this." I pointed at her. "We need to find another way around the mountain."

"Around the mountain?" Rainbow displeased my decision. "That's going to take us forever!"

"As long as Fluttershy's comfortable. We do need her, after all."

"I think I should take her around another way, Star Blast." Applejack said. "It's gon' be hard dragging her along."

" _Drag her?_ What do you mean?" The dragon snored loudly again. Applejack pointed at Fluttershy who was lying on the ground.

… Is she playing possum?

"Believe me; she will NOT move a muscle."

I continued to stare at Fluttershy. Her fearfulness was on a whole other level. I couldn't believe that I finally saw this side of her.

I sighed. "All right, we'll meet with you guys up top. Be careful."

"Don't worry. We'll be there lickety-split."

Twilight sighed and ordered us to continue climbing. Applejack slid down the cliff to meet up with the seemingly paralyzed mare. The apple farmer was right that Fluttershy wouldn't move a muscle. She was practically frozen.

I gave one last look before moving forward.

* * *

"Woo HOO! I win again!"

I was speechless.

"Dude, did she just beat you in ten straight games of Tic-Tac-Toe?!" I was as dumbfounded as Speedy.

"Well, at least he won two. I lost thirty five games in a row…" said Rarity sadly. The boards that we drew on the ground were proof of it.

"I'm surprised he even won against Pinkie." Rainbow Dash astounded. "She's almost unbeatable in Party games!"

Ah, so that's why she was so strong. As long as "Parties" were concerned, she'd steamroll her way to the goal.

X's and O's was a fairly easy game, with the use of common sense and slight strategy. I admit that Pinkie Pie outsmarting me was a shocker. My respect on her just went up higher.

We heard tired pants nearby. We glanced towards the direction and finally saw Applejack arriving with Fluttershy.

"We… made… it!" Applejack flopped down. On the other hand, Fluttershy was still in her frozen state. Don't tell me she's been like that for two hours…

"I told you it's gonna take forever!" Rainbow whispered loudly.

I rolled my eyes, "At least they came back safely."

I saw Fluttershy regaining herself as she stood up. "I-I'm sorry if you have to carry me all the way up here…"

"Stop sweatin' small stuff, sugar cube." Applejack responded nicely.

Twilight was having none of this. "Come on, everypony. We don't have all day!" she said and we all began walking.

Further into the mountain, we came to a point where we had to jump across a small gap to get to the other side. One by one, we all crossed until Fluttershy was the only one left.

"Your turn, Fluttershy." I said. I tried to persuade her out of her fear by jumping across over and over. "See? I could even do this all day."

"But it's so wide…" she trembled, holding a rock.

"Come on, Fluttershy. We should be much farther along by now." Twilight reasoned.

"You could just leap on over. It's perfectly safe!" Speedy encouraged.

"Easy for you to say… You can fly…"

"You can fly too! You're a Pegasus for crying out loud!"

She gulped when she looked down at the scary height, "I-I don't think I can do it…"

The dragon snored for the umpteenth time which made her back off and tremble more than ever. We were getting nowhere.

They couldn't help but shake their heads in submission.

"There's nothing to be afraid of." Speedy jumped over the other side. "It's just a hop, a skip, and a jump. Even a baby can do this."

"He's right!" said Pinkie. "A hop, skip, and a jump! See? _It's not very far! Just move your little rump! You can make it if you try with the hop, skip and jump!_ "

Did she just think of that right now?

"We don't have time for this…" Twilight muttered.

" _A hop, skip and jump! Just move your little rump! A hop, skip and jump! A hop, skip and jump! A hop, skip and jump!..._ " Pinkie continued to sing again and again, attempting to encourage Fluttershy. I saw her form a smile when she stood up.

"Okay…Here I go… A hop," she took a stance. The others exclaimed their words of encouragement. "…Skip…" she finally skipped towards us.

"Just don't look down." Twilight added, which was a big mistake.

Usually when you told someone NOT to, they always ended up doing it…

…and this was exactly what Fluttershy did.

When she was in mid-air, her front hooves caught the edge of our mountain side while her back hooves were still on the other end.

Oh, I guess I forgot to mention that the gap was at least a foot wide. We didn't even need to jump across because a single, small step was all it takes.

If I were to think like Fluttershy, the gap's probably like hundred feet apart in my perspective.

Rainbow Dash groaned as she helped Fluttershy cross by pushing her from behind. The others grabbed hold of her front hooves.

"I guess I forgot to jump…" Fluttershy released a smile.

"Glad that's over…" said Twilight. "Now, let's keep noises down as we move on to the next area. According to the map, we're entering an avalanche zone where the smallest peep can cause a huge rock slide."

Good thing I'm used to being quiet. Considering that Fluttershy also had this kind of demeanor, I was sure that everything will be alright.

"An ava-?"

Twilight quickly shushed and we kept our mouths shut as we advanced.

Soft and steady. Soft and steady. I kept on this pace easily, so I was calm the whole time we were walking.

I heard the ruffling of leaves of the tree branch Rainbow Dash passed through.

"AVALA-!" I quickly turned my head to the source and saw that Applejack blocked Fluttershy's mouth. Her voice continued to echo through the mountain.

We waited, and when nothing happened we all let out a sigh of relief.

Big mistake.

Everything around us started to rumble. We all looked up as rocks tumbled down towards us. What happened afterwards was pandemonium for us.

"AVALANCHE!"

Adrenaline quickly took over my body. I ran and ran, desperately trying to dodge any boulder falling possible. The same could be said to the others, obviously. I quickly halted as a giant rock fell down in front of me and almost took my life.

"HELP!"

I heard Twilight cry. A giant boulder was rolling towards her. With every ounce of energy I had, I dashed and leaped and pushed her out of the way.

After that, all I could see was darkness.

* * *

.

.

.

.

.

.

I was sure that I was conscious. I could feel something weighing me down, and it was surrounding me. I even found it hard to breathe as time goes on. I then realized that I was buried alive by the avalanche.

I felt nervous that my heart started to beat rapidly. I knew that if I freaked out right now it would only make my situation worse so I need stay calm and think clearly.

From my position, I could tell that I was lying down so I need to push all the earth up to get myself out of here. It wasn't that hard to dig, so I presumed that I wasn't buried too deep. That gave me a glimmer of hope that I could make it out alive.

I dig away as much as the earth as I could. With the average sized dent that I made, I took a deep breather. _Wait, air?_ That means that I'm nearly at the surface!

I took advantage of this newfound energy and pushed myself forward until I could see sunlight at the cracks in between the dirt. I could even hear the conversations outside now!

" _Everypony okay?_ " It was Applejack.

" _Wait. Where's Star Blast?!"_ Twilight demanded.

" _Oh my god! He's dead!?"_ I sighed mentally. Thanks, Hassan…

With one last push, I could now see everything as I sat up. I shook my head and rubbed the dirt off my face. _Fresh air!_ I inhaled loudly.

"Star Blast!" I heard Twilight's voice. I looked around when suddenly I was enveloped in her hug. I let out an _oof!_ "Thank Celestia, you're okay!"

"I'm fine…" I said. This much physical contact with a girl I couldn't help but blush.

"And thanks to you, I'm fine too. I owe you my life, Star." She continued to hug me. It's getting pretty awkward…

"WAAAAHHH~!"

"DUUUUUDE~!"

I looked over Twilight's shoulder and saw Speedy and Silver bawling their eyes out. The others ran over towards us as well to check on my well being.

"I thought you were deeeeeaaaad~!"

"Without you, me and the ape will be nothiiiiiiing~!"

I rolled my eyes, but I was glad that my best friends were alright. "I'm fine guys. No broken bones here or there."

"I-I'm so sorry!" Fluttershy apologized. "This avalanche is my fault!" she said through tears.

"Nobody's blaming you, and it's not your fault. The avalanche was only a matter of time." I said.

"But…"

"Don't cry. I'm fine." I smiled reassuringly.

Twilight helped me up and the others asked my experience being buried. I gave them a look that I would rather not talk about it. The avalanche blocked our path so we had no choice but to climb over.

I looked back down to the spot where I got buried one last time before shrugging off my near death experience.

"We're here."

We finally arrived at our checkpoint. The huge cave continued to puff out smoke, and the heat inside was unbearable. Most importantly, a dangerous dragon was in there.

"Rainbow Dash, you use your wings to clear the smoke." Twilight ordered quietly. Rainbow nodded as she flew up. "Speedy Glee and Pinkie Pie, you two create a diversion in case things get a little hairy in there."

"Hai, Kaichou~!" Speedy saluted. Pinkie dashed away and brought a chicken. It may confuse the dragon why she was carrying the rubber toy so it could work, I guess.

"Applejack and Silver Spur, get ready with the apples in case he decides to attack." She continued to instruct.

"What? How in the heck can apples stop a dragon?" Speedy wondered in confusion.

Applejack cleared her throat to grab our attention. "Do it, Spur."

Silver grabbed two apples from his bag (that was supposed to be his lunch) and threw it in the air. Applejack aimed for the falling fruits and kicked, projecting towards a tree. It sounded like a gunshot, and the force of her kick was enough to leave a huge dent on the tree.

Applejack grinned, as if she was saying 'how about that?'

Speedy was left gaping at the result.

"Nice! Lastly, Rarity and Star Blast will come up with a back-up plan in case THIS plan doesn't work," Wait, what? "but it shouldn't come to that, because Fluttershy will do what she needs to do to wake him up, and between the two of us, she would be able to get him to understand why he needs to go."

Sure, but getting Fluttershy to do her task was a challenge itself.

"Is everypony ready?"

"YEAH!" Almost everypony shouted their agreement.

"Okay, we're going in!" Twilight had entered the cave, and our main plan stepped into 1st phase.

 _Wait, Fluttershy was supposed to enter with Twilight. Where is sh-?_

… _Oh dear._

"Fluttershy! Don't stick your head on the ground like an ostrich!" I literally shouted.

"Oh, come ON!" Twilight yelled as she exited the cave and approached the scared mare. "We have to do this! NOW! Every second longer that dragon sleeps is another acre of Equestria that is covered in smoke!"

It took all the female ponies to try and push Fluttershy out but she wouldn't budge.

"Should we help them?" I asked.

"Push her out or talk her out of it? Because I don't want my hands- I mean, hooves touching a girl's places." Silver questioned.

"I…I can't go in the cave." Fluttershy spoke up, which earned a submitting groan from the ladies.

"Oh great, she's scared of CAVES now." RD exasperated.

"I'm not scared of caves. I'm scared of…" She mumbled that last part.

"What's that, sugar cube?"

"I'm scared of…." She kept mumbling.

"What's that?"

"I'mscaredofdragons!"

Smoke suddenly came out of the cave when the dragon snored, making us cough.

"But Fluttershy, you have a wonderful talent dealing with all kinds of animals!" Twilight tried to reason.

"Yes, but they're not DRAGONS."

Hmm… She had a point.

"Oh come on! We've seen you walk up to a horrible Manticore like it was nothing!" Rainbow Dash argued.

"Yes… because he wasn't a DRAGON." Okay, that was inexcusable.

"Spike's a dragon, but you're not afraid of him." Pinkie pointed out.

"Yes…but he's not a huge, gigantic, terrifying, enormous, teeth-gnashing, sharp-scaled, horn-wearing, smoke-snoring, could-totally-eat-a-pony-in-one-bite, totally-all-grown-up dragon."

The dragon snored. She then whimpered.

"But if you're so afraid of dragons, why didn't you say something before we came all the way up here?" Twilight demanded.

"I…I was afraid to."

Rainbow Dash groaned.

"All of us are scared of that dragon." Applejack pulled Fluttershy up.

"Yeah, especially this guy!" Speedy pointed to Silver who gave him a glare.

"Scared? Not me!" Rainbow bragged.

AJ rolled her eyes. " _Almost_ all of us are scared of that dragon. But we've got a job to do."

"I second that." Silver stated.

"Get in there with Twilight, and show her what you're made of!" Applejack encouraged.

We all waited for her response.

"I…I just…can't." her head hung low as she walked away.

"Oh, Fluttershy…" Twilight said.

I sighed. "I'm going to go after her and talk. Speedy, Silver, you two stay here and help them persuade the dragon." I offered. I swear I heard Hassan muttering praises when I left.

* * *

"Fluttershy! Where are you?!"

She somehow really got far ahead considering that we looked after her a minute before she left. I was almost a hundred yards away from the top.

I sighed as I stopped and leaned in against a boulder. Man, how many times have I sighed? It's really becoming annoying.

I then heard a sniffle behind this boulder. Curious, I walked around and saw Fluttershy in tears.

"There you are…" I said softly so that she wouldn't get startled. "You had us worried."

"I'm so sorry…I just can't do it…" she sobbed. "I'm too scared…"

I took a seat next to her. "Fluttershy, it's alright that you fear something, but you have to face it one way or another in the future so that you can overcome it. I know what you're feeling right now…"

She sniffed, "… You do?"

I nodded. "It's true. Did I mention that I really hated being around everybody else in the past?"

She shook her head, "But… you did mention that you never cared about making friends when we faced Nightmare Moon." She said. "To be honest, I find that hard to believe. I mean, you looked like a nice pony that treats everyone fairly. That's why I didn't even hesitate to talk to you when we first met in the park."

I chuckled. "Is that so?" she nodded.

"Yeah, I always had that kind of impression around people, yet I chose to shun them or ignore them." I continued. "As I grew older, I realized that if I continued this trait of mine, I might go nowhere. So, with all the courage I had, I went out of my comfort zone. Years later, I looked to where it got me: I have a wonderful group of friends that I truly adore, a nice reputation around people, and not long ago, an Element of Harmony that represents Respect." Even though it still baffles me to this very day.

Fluttershy was silent after my little speech.

She stared at the ground when she said, "What if I mess things up again? Like what happened at the avalanche where you-" she immediately stopped when she brought that up. She turned her face away from me.

I sighed (yet again). "I told you, I'm fine and I did not and will not blame you ever. It's all in the past and we might as well forget about it."

She hesitantly glanced back to face me. I released a smile that told her there was nothing to worry about.

"Okay…" she said. "Star Blast, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"…Was it pretty obvious and easy to notice that I was afraid of the dragon?"

I hesitated. "You want the honest truth?"

She nodded, and I fired away. "My answer is yes, plain as day. From the time you wanted to stay behind to the very moment you stuck your head through the ground." She blushed in embarrassment when I said that.

"But like I said earlier, it's okay to be afraid. It IS a dragon, after all. Heck, I'm surprised that we weren't the ones freaking out, because in our world dragons don't exist."

"What?! They don't?!"

I laughed a little at her reaction "Yeah, they're just mythical and legendary creatures in our stories and folklore. They could either be killer monsters, deities that create or devour worlds, or companions that can be trained and love."

"You can train a dragon? Wow, that's amazing…" she said in wonder.

HTTYD is life.

"But, It's still scary that there's a scary dragon up the mountain…"

Okay, she was still uncomfortable… What to do… what to do…

I might as well give it a shot. "Fluttershy, what's the meaning of the word 'courage' to you?"

"Courage? Well… It's when you face danger bravely, right?" she answered uncertainly.

"Don't worry, you're not entirely wrong, but there's way more to it than just facing danger bravely."

"There is?"

I nodded. "You see, courage is… a strength of mind, or one's spirit that enables a person OR pony to encounter danger while he also fears it."

She tilted her head, "Huh?"

…Okay, that might be a little complicated for her. I think giving an example will be much easier.

"Do you remember what Silver Spur's Element is?"

"It's Valor, right?"

"Mhmm. Courage and Valor is the same thing, you see. Now, can you tell me why Valor is his Element?"

"Because… even though he was afraid… he still continued to face the danger."

I nodded. "Yes, that is true courage. Remember that time when he was freaking out? He was WAY more scared to everything around him than you, right? And that time when we encountered the Manticore and he decided to duke it out with it himself and when he tackled Nightmare Moon to save us from being obliterated?"

"He didn't hesitate to save his friends, even though his life was on the line." She said.

"I could even tell you more stories of him being courageous, but now is not the time. We need you back up there. Will you come back with me?"

I offered her my out-stretched hoof. She examined it, and slowly she reached out until we heard a loud roar from the dragon's cave up top. The dragon had woken up!

"Oh no! Twilight and the others!" I exclaimed. "We need to go now!"

When we arrived, the others were all lined up outside the cave. And from the looks of it, Rainbow Dash was ranting something to them. I wondered what happened.

"It seems that backup didn't work," I said. "Are you ready Fluttershy?"

I turned around, and Fluttershy was nowhere to be found again.

I saw her behind a nearby boulder. "I think I'll stay here, for the moment…"

"Okay… I'll check the status and see what's going on."

I then marched forward and the other's noticed me.

"Star Blast, you're back." said Twilight. "Where's Fluttershy?"

I glanced back and pointed to the boulder. "She'll be ready. What happened?"

"NOTHING happened!" Rainbow Dash shouted furiously. "Twilight tried persuading it, Rarity tried charming it, whatever it is Pinkie Pie does, and Speedy and Silver tried taming it!"

"You tried taming it?" I asked to the two.

"Yeah, but it didn't work out as well as I expected." Speedy rubbed the back of his head.

"We should've seen it coming. We are no Hiccup…" Silver frowned.

Damn. I planned on doing that when I got the chance.

"It's time to stop wasting time! If Fluttershy still doesn't want to go in, I'M going in!" Rainbow declared and flew inside.

"Rainbow, no!" Twilight called after her.

"GET OUT!"

We heard a loud smack that echoed inside the cave. I gulped. Things were going to be PRETTY UGLY.

We heard a terrifying roar as the ground shook. Rainbow Dash came barreling out of the cave and hit us. We were all sprawled on the ground as we cleared our head. We quickly stood up when the dragon poked his head out of the cave.

Its scales were bloody red, his fangs were gleaming sharp, and its monstrous size gave him an ominous aura.

It glared at us.

And we were blown back at a boulder strong enough to make it crack. We all groaned in pain.

The dragon was enraged. It opened its mouth and I saw a glowing sensation inside. We all embraced one another as we watched it charge his flame.

"How dare you… How DARE YOU!"

That was the loudest I've ever heard her voice. Wait a second… Of course! We still have Fluttershy!

"Listen here, MISTER!" she flew up and landed on the dragon's snout. She proceeded to stare into its eyes "Just because you're big, doesn't mean you get to be a bully! You may have huge teeth, sharp scales, snore smoke or breathe fire, but you do NOT-I repeat-YOU DO NOT. HURT. MY. FRIENDS! You GOT that?! "

This proves that the scariest ones were always the quiet ones. The dragon even whimpered like a pup. I was even left speechless at her outburst.

"Well?"

"…But that rainbow one kicked me." The dragon pouted.

"I am very sorry about that, but you're bigger than she is and you should know better. You should also know better than to take a nap where your snoring can become a health hazard to other creatures." The dragon nodded understandingly.

"But I-" the dragon tried to talk back but was interrupted by Fluttershy.

"Don't you 'but I' ME mister. Now what do you have to say for yourself?" No response. "I said, what do you have to say for yourself?"

What happened next was startling. The dragon cried before us!

"Is it weird that Fluttershy reminds me of a mother?" We were all on board on that one, Silver.

"There, there…" Fluttershy stroked the dragon's nose soothingly. "No need to cry. You're not a bad dragon; you just made a bad decision. Now go pack your things. You just need a good place to sleep, that's all."

We all cheered as we gathered around her when she flew down.

"You did it! I knew you could do it!" Twilight said as the dragon finally flew away, and we headed back home.

"Hey! Come back here!"

We heard Spike yelling inside the library. We opened the door and witnessed him chasing after Angel Bunny. When he finally caught up, he grabbed him by the foot.

"How does Fluttershy put up with you furry little things!?" sadly I feel his pain, at least in handling Angel Bunny.

"Spike, take a letter." Twilight said.

Silver and Speedy already went up our room to rest. I settled my bag down on the table and sat down to listen to Twilight's letter.

"With pleasure!" Spike said in relief as he took out a pen a paper from… somewhere behind him. I don't know, it just popped right out of him. Do we all have secret pockets?

"Dear Princess Celestia, I am happy to report that the dragon has departed our fair country. And it was my friend Fluttershy who convinced him to go. This adventure taught me to never lose faith in your friends. They can be an amazing source of strength, and they can help you overcome your greatest fears. Always your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."

I nodded in approval when suddenly, AJ's voice rung outside the library.

"Ya'll ponies in the library! You gotta come see this!"

Twilight and I looked at each other and we looked out the window. They were all watching Rainbow Dash bouncing the ball on her head

"Rainbow Dash is five bounces away from a new pony record!" AJ announced.

"We went climbing up the mountain just recently and she still has stamina to play?" Silver questioned in the window next to us.

"347…348…" Rainbow counted, clearly concentrating on the ball.

"RAAAAWR~!"

"DRAGON!" Rainbow Dash cried before playing dead, which earned her a round of laughter.

"Why are you all laughing? The dragon is back!" Pinkie then roared in front of her. "Pinkie Pie! You scared me! I mean- uh… you broke my concentration!"

"Your face says otherwise!" Speedy then laughed. Rainbow Dash glared at him.

"It's okay, Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy said, hovering above the rainbow mare. "Not everypony can be as brave as me."

I giggled at the smug look she was making.

" _Yeah, she handled her fear pretty well, and smacked it right in the face. She's the bravest pony this day."_ I thought to myself.

A leaf floated down in front of Rainbow and when she blew it, it landed on Fluttershy's back, and she was completely unaware. She instantly screamed in fright and played possum once again.

"… _Or not. Force of habit, I guess."_

* * *

 _Author's Note!_

 _I hope this chapter makes up for a disastrous Chapter 9 XD_

 _And alas! Finals is upon me! My fate will be decided next week!_

 _To all my readers before this chapter update, I swear this will be the LAST TIME I'm going to make changes to the entire story. I believe that this will satisfy me._

 _As always! Fav it! Follow it! Review and tell me what you think! (I'm serious. I don't know if the story is doing well at this point.)_

 _See you guys in the next chapter! **LUMINOUS FADING AWAY...**_

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING BUT THE THREE OC'S**


	12. Slumber 101: Don't Kill Each Other!

**_The Misadventures of Ponified Friends_**

 ** _Chapter 11:_ Slumber 101: _Don't Kill Each Other (Look Before You Sleep)_**

* * *

 **(Speedy's POV)**

It was supposed to be a beautiful day.

This day was supposed to be the sunniest and warmest this week, where the sky is blue-er than usual and a breeze so refreshing that you might find yourself in a fabric conditioner commercial or something. I already planned relaxation after that trip up the mountain days ago.

But _nooooo_! All because of some stupid accident on our schedule!

A huge storm to make up for a day without sprinkling?! This world completely ignores the laws of nature! And whose fault was this?!

Tsk, what should have been a wonderful day at the spa…

Oh well, I guess I should just finish this as quickly as possible then return back to the library to try and read stuff. Blegh, books…

As I helped on covering the sky with a bunch of rain clouds, I glided down low to see if there was any spot we missed. All right, the sky had been completely roofed up with rain clouds. All we needed now was the signal from Rainbow Dash.

I landed in the park nearby a tree and shook my body to try and get rid of the chill. I watched as everybody was doing their part for this unplanned weather change. The earth ponies were gathering the fallen branches while the Unicorns were breaking the branches off the trees.

Good thinking, so in that way no one could be harmed in case the wind got really strong.

Oh, and speaking of Unicorns breaking branches, why is Rarity putting them back and treating it like it was some sort of bonsai?

"What are you doing?" I asked as I glided towards her.

"Oh, Speedy Glee!" she greeted. "Just taking care of the mess, is all! And look! Isn't it simply perfect~?"

I rubbed the back of my head, "I don't know, but I think you should cut down these branches and not force them back on it and doing... whatever that is."

A rope suddenly brought the whole branch down which startled the white pony

"Speedy's right," I glanced back and saw Applejack. "Just take the broken limbs down. Don't ya'll care 'bout nothing but prettifying?"

"SOMEPONY has to," Rarity answered. "because you are making an absolute mess of the Town Square, Applejack."

"Yeah, well, the storm's gonna be making a bigger mess if we don't prune all these loose branches and tumble down on anypony."

"I simply cannot imagine why the Pegasus ponies would schedule a dreadful downpour this evening and ruin what could have been a glorious, sunny day."

I turned to Rarity, "You didn't get the memo? We're doing all this work because of a missed rain shower that was scheduled about a week ago. So, the higher-up's decided that a storm would make up for it."

AJ nodded after kicking a tree that caused the loose branches to fall. "So Rarity, think more practical-like will ya'?"

Rain suddenly poured down as they argued. It was starting.

"Oh no! My wonderfully styled mane shall be ruined!" Rarity cried.

I rolled my eyes, "That's what you get for designing trees instead of finishing the job."

"Oh no! Ah! Oh! It's coming down too fast! Ah! Oh! Help me!" She continued to run all over the place and tried looking for somewhere secluded.

I could tell that hearing Rarity's whining was the last thing I wanted, so I searched and spotted a picnic table no too far from here.

"There. Hunker down to your heart's content while I start finish things." So Applejack was thinking the same thing and beat me to it.

So Rarity ran towards the table. I seriously thought it was the end of it.

"Oh no, no, NO!"

Both I and Applejack sighed heavily, "What now?" I asked.

"I prefer not to get my hooves muddy." She pointed to a puddle of mud under the table.

Applejack groaned. "There is just no pleasin' ya, is there? Everything's got to be just so."

"Well, and how does muddying my hooves serve any useful purpose?" Rarity questioned.

Awkwaaaaard~. I sense a cat fight about to happen, "Uh, girls…?"

"Y'all wouldn't know useful if it came up and bit' ya." What the heck did that mean, AJ?

Rarity laughed. "That doesn't even make any sense."

"Does SO."

"Does NOT."

"Does SO."

"Does NOT."

"Does SO."

"Does NOT."

"Does so INFINTY! Hah!"

"Does not Infinty plus ONE! Hah!"

Applejack and Rarity were both staring at each other coldly before me. I seriously didn't know what to do. I looked at them back and forth as I tried to step in.

"Girls, girls! You're both pretty, so maybe we should go, I don't know, our separate ways before we say something we would regret?" I suggested nervously.

"I AGREE." Rarity said, her gaze still unwavered.

"I reckon she's gonna say somethin' SHE'LL regret first!" AJ began.

"On the contrary, I believe it will most certainly be YOU who says something YOU will regret first!" Rarity countered.

"Oh, will you look at the time? Let's go all to work before the huge storm comes!" I interrupted again. Look at me, trying to be a peacekeeper. Rob would be so proud. "Now let's go on our own way then, okay?"

They stared at each other one last time.

"Y'all just go on your way, then!" Applejack literally scooted her out.

"After you!" Rarity replied.

They slowly backed away from each other. I inhaled and let out a huff.

 _ ***CRACKLE!***_

I suddenly felt myself being wrapped up by two ponies. What the heck were these two doing hugging me? I couldn't freaking breathe!

"Perhaps we should stick together for now and…find some shelter." Rarity suggested.

"Uh huh, perhaps we should. And fast." AJ agreed, her voice filled with worry.

I nodded my head with a desperate look, "Of course. Can we start by releasing me in your hug so that I can breathe….?"

They realized this and literally dropped me off. I landed on the muddy ground with a loud _oof!_

"We're sorry, Speedy." They both apologized.

I sighed with a muddy face. The wind and the rain was freaking strong. "I hate Mondays…"

Also, this storm reminded me of THAT night. A chill suddenly went down my spine. I hoped another portal doesn't appear this time.

"If you're cold, you should take cover Speedy," I heard Applejack from under the picnic table "It's nice and dry under here…sorta'"

"Uh! Unacceptable." Rarity said in disgust.

I shook it off, "You call that dry? Mud's all under you! The library's not far from here so we should make a run for it."

As if on cue, " _Applejack! Rarity! Speedy_!" Twilight called our names all the way from the library door to grab our attention. " _Come inside, quick!_ "

The three of us then ran towards the library. Before I went in, I neatly wiped my hooves in the mat because hey, cleanliness. And besides, Spike would never let me hear the end of it.

"Uh… is inside a tree really the best place to be in a lightning storm?" Applejack asked, still outside the library.

"It is if you have a magical lightning rod protecting your home like I do," Twilight responded. I installed that lightning rod, by the way. It wasn't easy work. "Now come on in!"

"We are most grateful for your invitation." Rarity said politely.

"Thank ya'll kindly for your hospitality!" AJ walked in, but she was halted by Rarity who gestured her muddy hooves.

"Do be a polite house guest and go wash up please, won't you?"

AJ groaned silently in annoyance before walking out. Well, we just got the floor waxed a while ago so she definitely needed to wash up.

"Some storm, huh? You Pegasus ponies sure have outdone yourselves this time." Twilight said to me.

I shrugged before flying towards the kitchen and grabbed some towels. "It had to be done."

"And Rarity, I hope you and Applejack don't have any trouble getting home."

"It may indeed be a problem…" Rarity said. I flew back and handed her a towel "Ah, thank you Speedy."

"Well, you're welcome to stay if need be. Spike and Star Blast are away in Canterlot for royal business, and Silver Spur may not come back till tomorrow due to the bad weather."

"Wait, why did Blast go to that royal place?" I asked her.

"He didn't tell you?" What the hell is she talking about?

"Tell me what?" I asked in confusion.

"Well… even I don't know the reason. He just told me that Princess Celestia requires his presence before he and Spike left the library this morning. I figured that you knew."

Hmm… I wondered why and for what reason did the Princess needed him. I guessed that it had something to do with the whole 'Elements of Harmony' and 'us being transported here' and the 'prophecy' bullshit. Yeah, that's a high possibility.

"So… it's just you and me in the library tonight?" I asked.

"Mhmm." She then gasped and turned to Rarity. "I know! You and Applejack should totally sleep over! We'll have a slumber party! I've always wanted one of those!"

Slumber party? Oh no, It's Ezra and her 6th grade friends all over again! It happened a year ago when my sister invited her friends over our house for a school project. It was around midnight when I wandered around the kitchen for a snack when I got caught up in their antics.

It was pretty embarrassing so I wouldn't tell you all the details, but it had something to do with cross-dressing…

Yeah, my sister is THAT extreme. That was the most humiliating thing I had ever done.

And this suggestion came from an introverted and nerdy pony. How unusual.

Rarity blinked a few times before responding, "Oh goodness, I-uh, do believe I have another engagement schedule for this evening that completely slipped my mind just now!" That awkward laugh of hers made it really convincing that she was lying. "Oh, silly me! I can't possibly stay here all night…with Applejack…" she muttered that last part. So she still hadn't moved on with her feud, huh?

I saw Twilight grab a book from a top shelf and levitated it towards Rarity and I before opening it.

"Slumber 101: All you've ever wanted to know about slumber parties but were afraid to ask." We read together.

"My own personal copy!" Twilight said proudly. These things actually existed? You could actually be proud to own something like this? "It's a fantastic reference guide. You should see the table of contents. I've been waiting for a chance to use it, and today's the day! This is gonna be so great!"

The excitement in her face, though. You know what? Scratch bailing out, because I wanna see where her first sleepover goes.

Minutes later, Applejack finally came in with her hooves sparkly clean.

She gasped. "What in tarnation?"

I couldn't blame her. "Hey, AJ."

"Speedy Glee…what's that thing on yer face?"

"A mud mask." I grinned.

For starters, Twilight and Rarity began by doing mud facials. Pretty common for slumber parties (I always see this stuff in high school flicks), and I didn't even hesitate to join them. I had an appointment with the spa today and because of this storm it got cancelled. A complete waste of money so this would do, for now.

"Now wait just a gol-darn minute. You made me wash the mud off my hooves, but it's okay for ya'll to have mud all over your faces?" She demanded, glaring at Rarity who was applying more mud mask's to Twilight.

"Silly, it's to refresh and rejuvenate your complexion." Rarity explained.

"We're giving each other make over's!" Twilight squealed in excitement. "We have to do it. It said so in the book!"

"And you're fine with all this, Speedy?" she asked.

I shrugged whatsoever. "It's great on my skin."

Twilight then presented the book to Applejack.

"Slumber 101: Everythang you-" Yep, she made the face of realization. "Oh hay, would'ya look at the time? I gotta skedaddle on home quick. I just remembered that Silver's making dinner or uh, somethin'. Well, G'night!"

Oh she was not going anywhere. Not if the storm had anything to say about it.

 ** _*CRACK-A BOOM!*_**

She returned in a flash. "…or maybe I'll sit here for a spell."

You tried, AJ. You failed, but you tried.

"Hooray! Slumber party!" Twilight exclaimed happily.

Rarity then proceeded to put on a mud facial on Applejack much to the latter's approval.

"What in the world is this for?" she gestured to the cucumbers.

"I don't really know, but my mom said the cucumbers help lessen the puffiness in your eyes." I answered.

"That is indeed true, darling." Rarity said in approval. "Speedy Glee, you have done this before?"

"More than one occasion." I admitted.

" _Psssh!_ Puffiness-shmufiness!" She licked the cucumbers off her eyes. "That's good eatin'!"

While Rarity was giving her a disturbed look, Twilight was looking at the slumber party instructional, giggling like some 5 year old girl in a bed time story.

"Isn't this exciting? We'll do everything by the book, and that will make my slumber party officially fun!" Twilight said, in which I had doubts.

"Did you hear that, Applejack? You certainly do not want to do anything that would ruin Twilight's very first slumber party, would you?" Rarity asked.

"Of course not, and you wouldn't either I reckon'?" Applejack replied.

"So do we have an agreement?"

"You betcha'!"

Ah, finally this two made up! Oh, wait. Applejack just spitted on her hoof and offered Rarity a hand- I mean, hoofshake? Rarity's not gonna do that! Applejack, you shouldn't have done that!

"Ah! Gross! You know, there's just plain messy, and there's just plain RUDE." Rarity spited.

"You know, there's fussy, and there's just plain gettin' on my nerves!" Applejack quickly shot back. Not this again.

And wow, Hassan and I were always like this? How did Rob endure this?

"Fortunately, I can get along with anypony, no matter how difficult SHE maybe." If you say so, Rarity.

"Oh yeah? Well I'm the get-along-iest pony yer ever gonna meet!"

"That's not even a word."

"This is gonna be the bestest slumber party ever! Yay!" Twilight appeared behind them and enveloped the two in a hug. Read the mood, Twilight.

"Yay…" The two said blandly. The atmosphere's getting freaking intense with them. I swear it was going to be a looooong night…

* * *

The first hour of this slumber party went by in a flash. Well, for me anyways. Also, the lack of male conversation was forcing me to read this book that Twilight gave to keep me entertained while they did their make-overs.

What the heck was this about anyway? Did she expect me to actually read science fiction novels and stuff? If she had comic books here, that would be way more acceptable.

And jeez, the storm was getting stronger by the minute.

"So, how are you getting along there Applejack?" I heard Rarity ask the farm pony.

"Just fine, Rarity…" I sensed sarcasm and annoyance in her voice.

I looked back at the three, and woah! Even their tails had curlers! You know, the thing that girls put on their hair? Were those called curlers?

"This is so AWESOME!" Twilight then giggled before casting a trick to make their make-up's disappear. "Make-overs: check!"

Twilight then scanned the book. "Oh! It says here that we have to tell ghost stories!" Now that got my full attention. "Who wants to go first?"

"Me!" AJ raised her hoof. "I'd like to tell ya'll the terrifying tale of the prissy ghost, who drove everypony crazy with the unnecessary neatness. _Ooooohhh~!_ I'm sure ya'll are familiar to that one?"

Where the hell was 'terrifying' in that summary?

"Never heard of it, but I have a much better one." Rarity responded. "It's the horrifying story of the messy, inconsiderate ghost who irritated everypony within a hundred miles! _Aaaawoooohh~!_ "

"That's not a real story! You made it up!" Applejack said skeptically.

"It is a ghost story. They're ALL made up." I agree, and your stories both suck, too. I know that it's kid friendly and all, but whatever.

A flash of lightning suddenly blew off the lights around the library. I looked around and hoped that not another portal would appear. No thanks to traveling to another world again.

"I've got one!" Twilight declared, lighting up a lantern that we surrounded. "It's called 'The Legend of the Headless Horse.' It was a dark and stormy night, just like this one, and ponies were having a slumber party, just like this one."

Shit, the lightning and the creepy music's making my hair stand up. I still have no idea where the music is coming from, but I showed no reaction because I'm kind of used to it by now. I was still waiting for the day when I'm going to sing, LOL.

I listened to Twilight's story with interest, hoping that the ending would spook me out.

Five minutes later…

"And just when the last pony thought she was safe, there…standing right behind her…just inches away was…THE HEADLESS HORSE!"

In a flash, I saw Twilight cover herself with a sheet to appear headless and scared the crap out of the two. I quietly chuckled and shook my head in amusement as Rarity and Applejack hugged each other as they screamed. Well that was ironic.

Twilight revealed herself, a smile on her face. "That went better than I expected!"

I clapped at her efforts. "That was awesome, Twilight. Well paced, good build-up and I did NOT see that twisted ending coming!"

She giggled and asked, "How about you, Speedy? Do you know any good stories?"

"I know a few great ones," And I'd like to thank Creepy Pasta for many sleepless nights in my childhood. "But I'm not sure if you three can _handle_ it…"

Twilight scoffed, "Puh-lease! The Legend of the Headless Horse is one of the scariest, if not, THE scariest ghost story in Equestria! I'm pretty sure we can handle yours, right girls?"

We looked at Rarity and Applejack who were still embracing each other, and when they realized it they quickly broke apart and glared at one another.

"Alrighty then…" I cleared my throat and spoke with my poor version of Bray Wyatt's accent. "But be warned! What you are about to hear will forever haunt you in your slumber…"

"I highly doubt that." The look she gave was like, challenging me or something.

I chuckled in amusement and grinned sinisterly, "Oh, you girls are in for a _real_ treat… Oh, but there's a twist."

"A twist?" the girls asked.

I nodded. "These scary stories that I am about to tell you are only two sentences max."

"Two?" AJ snickered. "A scary story that short ain't no scary story at all."

"I agree with Applejack, Speedy Glee." said Twilight. "But I do find an idea like a scary story with two sentences interesting."

"I didn't even know such a thing is possible." Rarity admitted.

"Wait, so you haven't heard ANY two sentence stories at all?" I asked. They all shook their heads. "Huh, you girls ARE in for a real treat."

"Well, the night isn't going to last forever so go ahead Speedy." Twilight told me, and I obliged.

I clopped my hooves together and the lights instantly switched off. Didn't know it would work, though.

"Alrighty, I guess I'll start off with something short." I announced. I cleared my throat and brought the lamp close to illuminate my face.

" _My friend asked why I was breathing so heavily. I wasn't…"_

I observed the girls, waiting to see what their reactions would be.

"Wait… If you're not the one breathing heavily…then who could it be…?" Rarity wondered. I noticed that she was kind of spooked out.

"Any ideas?" I asked.

"Probably some kinda creepy ghost?" Applejack suggested then she suddenly shivered. "These two-word stories are creepier than I thought."

"Two-sentences, actually." I corrected her.

"I've got to admit, that one gave me goose bumps." Twilight said. "Do you have more? This is exciting! Creepy, but exciting!"

I gave her an amused look before I continued.

 _"I always thought that my cat had a staring problem because she was always fixated at my face. Until one day, I realized that she was always looking just behind me…"_

I saw Applejack gulp down the lump in her throat while Rarity began trembling. Ah yes, she has a cat named Opal. On the other hand, Twilight was looking at me in awe.

"Ooh! What kind of entity or creature would the cat stare at possibly be?!" She exclaimed ecstatically. "These two-sentence stories hold so many mysteries!"

Sheesh, nerd-alert. "You're supposed to be scared, not interested and go gaga over it."

She grinned sheepishly and said her apology.

"Uhm… May I ask, how many more stories do we have to hear?" Rarity spoke up.

"Probably... let's see…seven more?" I answered.

"SEVEN?!"

"Yeah, and they are WAY scarier than the first two."

Rarity whimpered. "Fine, let's just end this quickly."

I took a breather. _"I woke up to hear knocking on glass, At first, I thought it was from the window until I heard it come from the mirror again…"_

We all heard a sudden tapping noise on glass that made our ears perk and hair stand up.

"…What was that sound?" AJ wondered meekly.

"Oh, don't be scared Applejack." Twilight said. "It's probably just…mice?"

"Why do you sound so unsure?" I asked.

Before she could reply though, we heard the freaking tapping sound again. Unfortunately for our ear drums, Rarity suddenly screeched in terror.

"What?! What?! What?!" I babbled, completely on edge.

"G-g-gh-gho-GHOST! AAAAAHH!"

Her shaking hoof pointed at the nearby window behind me. It was dark, but the random lightning strikes provided enough light source to let us see what Rarity was freaking out about. I could form a slender, hand-like thing tapping on it.

The first thing we did was follow Rarity's lead.

"AAAAAAAHHHH!"

"Could it be the ghost in the story you were telling, Speedy?" Twilight asked fretfully.

"The one with the mirror?" I said. She nodded back as we backed up to the other end of the room.

Nature was playing with us right now. I mustered up my courage and slowly skidded my way towards the light switch. I flipped it up to 'On' and we looked back at the window again.

"Oh, it's just a tree branch." I said in relief. Stupid branch.

"Thank goodness." Twilight said. "It scared the living daylights out of me!"

"I'll admit that I almost dropped my apples for a second." said AJ, although I was confused on what that figure of speech meant.

"I think I won't be able to sleep well, tonight…" Rarity said in concern. "Are we going to continue these ridiculous stories?"

"I think this experience is more than enough, based on your- I mean OUR reactions." We all agreed to Twilight. "So, I'm going to mark off 'Ghost Stories' in the book and we shall continue! Now, who wants Smore's?"

"Smore's, you say?" I held. "I know a thing or two about making the PERFECT smore."

"Is that so? Then lead us to the kitchen, Speedy!"

"Aye-aye, Cap!"

I then held the door open for the girls and we went to the kitchen.

I might as well keep this entertaining for me. "Hey girls! I think I saw a faceless pony for a second!"

"Speedy!"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!"

* * *

"Now, all you have to do is put this piece of chocolate on top of the roasted marshmallow and make sure that it's exactly in the center so that it will not look unorthodox. Then slowly, and safely mind you, put the graham cracker on top and voila! I present to you, _Smore a la Glee_!"

I can't believe these two Unicorns are impressed at what I was doing. Wasn't this the normal way to make it? Oh, and don't mind my last words. _Smore a la Glee_ is just me showing off.

"It looks splendid, Speedy." Rarity commented. "I couldn't have done it better myself."

"Ooh…" Is Twilight seriously looking at it in awe?

"Now, ya just eat 'em!" Applejack then gobbled up the confectionary goodness.

I chuckled as the farm pony continued eating the dessert sloppily and burped loudly. "So much for etiquette, right?"

"You could at least say 'excuse me'." Rarity said in disgust.

"Oh I was just about to, but you interrupted me… Pardon." Applejack retorted.

Okay…these two are starting to fight again. I might as well turn my attention to this delicious food than getting involved with them. I constructed my own smore and ate it silently and blissfully. Oh sweet, SWEET chocolate!

"Smores: Check!" Twilight was looking at that book again. "Now the next item of fun we're about to do is… Truth or Dare!"

"I dare Applejack to do something carefully and neatly for a change." Rarity said.

"Oh yeah? Well I dare you to lighten' up and stop obsessin' to every last, little detail…for a change."

"I think the truth of the matter is that somepony could stand to pay a little more attention to detail."

"And I think the truth is SOMEPONY ought' a quit with her fussin', so that the rest of us can get things done!"

Meanwhile, Twilight and I looked at each other after watching these two go at it.

"Um… I don't think this is how the game is supposed to work." Ah, absent minded to her friends' situation I see. She's totally This slumber party totally means a lot to her then. "Is this how it supposed to work?"

"You have to give an honest answer if you pick Truth, and you have to do whatever the person tells you to do if you pick Dare." I said. "Also, if you do not obey to the rules, you have to put a spoonful of cinnamon in your mouth as punishment."

"Wait, really?" she scanned the pages of the book. "There's no punishment stated here."

"That book's probably old then." Of course there's a punishment. Wouldn't wanna let the cowards get away with nothing.

"I dare YOU, to step outside, and let your precious, tidy mane get ruined!" Applejack challenged. Rarity gasped.

"You have to. It's the rule." Twilight told her.

Rarity groaned, "Fine!"

Rarity walked hesitantly towards the door, much to the delight of Applejack. That's got to suck for this Unicorn big time. Of all the times I stayed here, I only saw Rarity's hair get ruined twice.

Applejack stifled her laughter, listening to Rarity's cries outside. After a few seconds, the Unicorn returned dripping wet.

AJ continued laughing but was stopped by a very angry and drenched Rarity.

"You think this is funny? Then I dare you to play dress-up in a fru-fru, glittery, lacy outfit!"

As expected, it was AJ's turn to gasp.

Come to think of it, I've never seen her in a dress before. This oughta be funny!

"It's the rule, Applejack! Or do you wanna take a spoonful of cinnamon down your throat? Trust me, it sucks." I said to her.

She had no choice, so she marched up Twilight's room and got back with a girly dress. This dare is way worse than Applejack's.

Wait. Twilight had something like THAT?

"Happy?" AJ asked with a scowl.

Rarity giggled. "Very."

"Uh, do we ever get a turn?" Twilight raised, but was ignored by the two who continued to trade dares.

"I dare you to ride the next rodeo when it comes to town!"

"I dare you NOT to enter when it comes to town!"

"I dare you not to comb your mane a HUNDRED TIMES before bed!"

"and I dare you to comb yours for just once!"

"…I think you should check out the Truth or Dare part in that book of yours." I suggested in a whisper.

"I guess so…" Twilight said sadly. She levitated her book towards her. "I wonder what's the fun, fun, fun thing we're going to do next. Hmm… what does this mean? Pillow fight?"

That, huh? Of course there wouldn't be a slumber party without a Pillow Fight. I'm definitely going to sit this one out. One man against three girls is overkill! Not to mention two have magic and the other has some kind of super kick! I'm going to die in here!

"Oh please, I am not at all interested in participating to something so crude." Said Rarity, before she got hit by a flying pillow from AJ. "It. Is. ON!"

Rarity retaliated by sending the pillow back to AJ's face point blank. Applejack responded angrily by bucking a pile of pillows in front of her that aimed towards Rarity.

I was going to state my confusion on where the hell did those pillows come from, but I was too busy flipping the table in front of me and Twilight for a shield. I peeked and continued to watch these two ponies battle. Applejack even used a lasso!

"Oh, I get it! Pillow _fight_!" Twilight realized just now?!

"Twi! Duck!" I pulled her down and she somehow avoided the pillow that went flying outta nowhere. I grabbed said pillow and waved it up in the air. "This ain't no fight! This is a WAR! Turn things down a notch!"

"I will if she will!" Applejack said while continuing to attack and dodge.

"You started it!" said Rarity, doing the same thing.

Before we even knew it, Twilight and I were buried by the pillows they used. I sprung my head up and tried to blow and spit away the feathers inside my mouth. I looked at their state, both were breathing heavily.

"Tired?" I questioned, but they remained silent.

"Maybe we should just call it a night and get some sleep." Twilight rose.

Sleep really sounded good right now.

* * *

 _"Keep your muddy hooves on your side of the bed!"_

 _"My hoof's ain't muddy!"_

 _"They WERE. They might still have a little on them."_

"Can't sleep. Can't sleep. Can't sleep." I quietly banged my head through my pillow.

Why did Twilight insist me to sleep with them in her room? And why in the hell did I agree? Well, it did make sense that we have to sleep in the same room since this is a sleep-over, and yeah it's a little scary being alone back in our room since it's raining heavily. I never did like a storm this strong. It's making me nervous.

 _"They're right! See?"_

 _"Eew!"_

It's a miracle that Twilight's fast asleep. The voices of these two are freaking loud! I rolled around my bed and peeked. It seemed that they were fighting over the bed now.

Rarity stood up. _"I have to make the bed again so that the blanket will be right. Get up!"_

The white mare pushed the sleeping pony off and proceeded to tidy up the bed.

 _"Hey!"_ AJ exclaimed. Before she could grab the blanket, Rarity stopped her in her tracks.

 _"Ah ah ah! You'll ruin it! You have to do it like this."_ Rarity instructed before doing a complicated way to put yourself to sleep.

I thought that was the end of it, so I turned back and closed my eyes until…

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen. GERONIMO!"

My eyes instantly shot open because of the loud racket they made. My eyes couldn't help but twitch in annoyance as I raised myself up and glared at the two.

 _"Will you guys please stop that?!"_ I hissed.

 _"But she did that on purpose!"_ Rarity pointed.

 _"Can't hear ya. I'm asleep."_ Applejack then pretended to sleep as she snored. Rarity snarled at her.

 _"What is with you two?! You girls have been going at each other since that time in the park!"_ I floated up as I grabbed my pillow and blanket. _"I'm still not sure what your problem is, but I'm not getting my sleep in here."_

 _"But, where are you going to sleep?_ " I heard Rarity ask.

 _"Uh, duh? In our room!"_ I flew over Twilight's door and opened it. _"Now, good night ladies!"_

Before I could slam the door close, I remembered that Twilight was still sleeping. I gently closed it and flew my way to our room. I sighed as I entered. No bickering and all I could hear was the sound of the rain.

I flopped down on my bed with a glad impression, and closed my eyes slowly waiting to drift off…

I felt the ground shook violently after a nasty lightning strike that made me jump up and hit the ceiling in surprise!

"Ow! What the hell was that!?" I cried in pain and landed back down on the floor.

Wasting no time, I rushed down the stairs and looked around. I saw no critical damage, other than only a few books that fell off the shelves. The kitchen's not that devastated either.

But I did a double take when I noticed something outside the kitchen window. The top half of the tree near the library was charred. I wondered if this was where the lighting stroked, but it was pretty obvious right?

But the thing that caught my attention was that there's a rope tied to it, and someone was pulling it towards this direction. I was confused for a second, until I realized that Applejack was probably behind that!

The rope suddenly pulled and bringing the branch with it. The whole library shook. What the heck are they doing?!

I flew my way up hurriedly over Twilight's room.

"Are you girl's okay?!" I questioned loudly.

I saw Applejack hanging in the air with a grip on her lasso that was still tied in the tree branch. Even she had a shocked expression.

"I tried to tell you that it would come crashing down in here!" Rarity exclaimed on the upper part of the room.

"Well you should have tried harder!" replied AJ.

"Why would you pull that in the first place?!" I demanded, gazing at the chaos.

"I had no choice! This branch here is dangerous! It almost crashed down on that house over there!" she explained.

I kinda calmed down. "That seems reasonable, but you pulled it too hard though."

"I know."

From outta nowhere, Twilight sprouted up from the thick leaves of the branch. AJ and I attended her.

"You okay, Twilight?" I asked.

"Well…It's…I'm not okay! There's a giant tree branch in the middle of my bedroom!" She declared, the she suddenly drew the Slumber Party book. "The book doesn't say anything about having a giant tree branch in your Slumber Party!"

What the hell?! She's still concerned about that?!

"Or at least I haven't found an entry yet!"

All right, I'm going to face hoof myself!

I groaned in frustration (and in pain), and then looked finally at the white pony who was busy putting books neatly at shelves.

"What are you doing, Rarity? There's a lot of time for that!"

"I'm just cleaning up this mess SOMEPONY made. Who was that again? Oh right, it's APPLEJACK!"

"Not this again! We've got to do something! Twilight's busy checking that book of hers about tree branches inside so she's no help here!"

AJ and I started to push, kick, and even punch the branch but it wouldn't budge. If even Applejack, an Earth pony who is physically strong based on what Robert informed us, couldn't do it, we were getting nowhere.

"Rarity for pony's sake! Stop sweatin' small stuff and help us get rid of this thing!" AJ cried. "Hustle over here and help us!"

Rarity kept ignoring AJ's pleads of help. The wind caught us up, and we closed our eyes and shielded our faces at the rain and the room was getting flooded. Still, Rarity continued to pick up the fallen books and placing them in order and neatly.

"Look, I'm sorry okay!"

The Unicorn finally turned around. "I beg your pardon?"

"I said I'm sorry!" she repeated. "I should'a listened to you when you noticed where this branch would end up. You and your attention to detail would'a saved us from this mess, but right now you need to stop being so dang fussy pickin' up those little things, and help us move the one big thing here that actually matters! Please!"

I mentally agreed with her as I nodded, my wet and sloppy bangs whipping back and forth.

Rarity tried to help, but then she stopped as she looked at the mess around, "But…I'll get all icky!"

"Jesus Christ!" I exclaimed. "Getting dirty is a side effect of hard work! All of us know that you like things clean and neat so we couldn't blame you since you're a fashionista! But you've just gotta get over it and do it to get things done, like, right now!" I shook my head as it got drenched by the rain again. "Me and AJ need your help. So please try and get over it," and I really need some sleep!

Rarity hesitated for a moment, "Oh…" She closed her eyes and thought for a moment. Finally, she turned to us as the book on her head fell off. "Let's do this!"

Oh my god, thank goodness!

I backed off for a little bit as the two engaged in a plan and I examined myself. My body was drenched with mud (I wonder where I got that?) and covered with leaves and twigs. My hair was also a mess. I closed and opened up my wings to shake off the dirt I caught.

"Well they do have a section about backyard slumber parties! Is that what we're doing right now? Does this count as camping?" The hell, Twilight? This girl is either innocent or naïve.

I looked back at the two mares getting rid of the humungous branch. Rarity began to use her magic as her horn glowed pink. Most of the branch turned into tiny designed shrubs (?). All that was left was the big stump. AJ was about to buck it out the window but Rarity began to glare at her. Taking the hint, Applejack carefully picked it up and threw it down much to Rarity's approval. So in the end, the problem was done in a flash as long as everyone was in the same page.

"Oh, I look awful." Rarity said. She was covered in mud as well as Applejack.

Applejack pondered for a bit before doing something I thought was hilarious. "Better?"

Rarity responded with a smile, her eyes covered with cucumbers. "Thanks." They then hugged each other. I supposed this is the end of their feuds... for now at least.

"Ooh, pretty!" I heard Twilight comment at the shrubs. "They're not in the book either." I sighed. She was still engrossed with the slumber party.

"Uh… Speedy?" I looked over at Applejack. "Rarity and I are mighty sorry… for all the trouble we caused all day."

"She and I truly acted immoral to argue throughout the evening." It was Rarity's turn. "I know that we shouldn't have fought with each other because we are friends. Will you ever forgive us?"

I chuckled. "It's alright. You two have no need to apologize. Arguments and fights tend to happen between friends. I mean, look at my relationship with Silver!"

"Hmm… It's true that I do see the two of ya pickin' on one another whenever I see ya together." AJ said.

I laughed. "That's how we got close in the first place, but I always remind myself not to tease him too much. He almost killed me once, you know?"

"That sounds horrible." commented Rarity. "But, we are really sorry for bothering you in your sleep earlier."

I looked at the wall clock, and it said '12:30 A.M.' I waved it off. "Heh, who needs sleep in Slumber Parties?"

* * *

Over the next hour, we all took a shower with much difficulty to get rid of the filth in our bods. After that, we all grouped up back in Twilight's room and played guessing games. While Applejack and Rarity randomly tried questions, I was busy nibbling on the left over chocolate and marshmallows as I watched.

"Is it bigger than a barn?" AJ asked.

"Nope." Twilight denied with a laugh.

"Is it smaller than a saddle?" Rarity guessed.

"Nope!" Twilight laughed again.

"Is it alive?" I randomly guessed, munching on marshmallows.

"Wrong again~! You only have three out of your twenty questions left!"

This was a difficult one, if I do say so myself.

"We're never gonna guess what yer' thinkin' of. It could be anything!" Applejack complained.

"Are we getting warmer?" Rarity asked.

"Why? Is it too cold for you? I can turn up the heat!" I chuckled at Twilight's offer. She was soooo concerned about this sleep over.

"What she means is, are we getting close to our guesses?" I corrected.

"Oh… No. And that technically counts as a question so two guesses left!" Doh! Well I'm out of this game. It was up to these two to win it.

"Is it… a six-legged pony with a polka dotted mane with shootin' stars comin' out of her eyes?"

"Who flies in the air all over the world to hide magic sparkly eggs?"

…Yep. We lost.

"That's it!"

"It IS?!" I almost choked on a marshmallow goddammit! How in the world did they get that right?!

"No," Oh, never mind then. "It's that." Twilight pointed from atop, and there a telescope was placed. "But it was just so nice to finally see you two getting along, I wanted you to be able to win together."

Applejack and Rarity began laughing. Twilight followed along.

"See? We could have been having fun like this all along!"

"If only SOMEPONY hadn't been so persnickety." Applejack said. It sounded like she was aiming at- Oh, I see what's going on.

"Well, she wouldn't have been if only somepony ELSE hadn't been so sloppy." Rarity fired back.

Please don't fight again… They glared at each other angrily, but then their moods drooped down.

"I'm sorry if I'm such a pain in the patootie." Applejack apologized.

"Oh no, I'm sure I was much worse." Rarity replied.

"That's kind of ya to say, but I'm the one who's sorry."

"Oh I am much sorry than you are."

"Are not."

"Are too!"

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

Twilight and I shook our heads at the sight of these two, laughing their heads off lol. It's kinda nice to see two people (or in this case, ponies) get along and put their embrace their differences. Opposites attract, I guess?

"I'd like to declare my first slumber party a SUCCESS!" Twilight declared before we cheered, trading hoofbumps with eachother. She pick up her book and marked the last item. "Have fun: Check!"

The night, or should I say morning? Nah, doesn't matter anymore. It was still pretty early in the morning, but we continued to have fun. As of this moment, we were playing marco polo and Applejack was it.

"Two steps to your left AJ!" I directed, trying not to laugh. "No, no, MY left!"

"Which is it?" she questioned. She was in a blindfold so she kinda didn't know that I was flying on top of the room. "Speedy, I swear that if yer' flyin' I'm gonna knock the apples out of ya- woah!" She stumbled on a pile books. "That's yer mess not mine!"

I couldn't hold my laughter anymore. I landed back down near her as Rarity walked towards us laughing as well. I never had this much with a girl, excluding my relatives, since… NEVER!

"I knew you were flyin'! Not fair!"

I shrugged. "The rules doesn't say 'no flying', though."

"It's a clear disadvantage for us non-flyers." Says the pony that has magic which she could use to track me.

"Well someone needs to change it. Yer' gonna end up winning again!"

I chuckled alongside ignoring Applejack's pleads of fairness. I turned my head and noticed Twilight writing a letter again. An idea popped in my head.

"Girls, girls!" I gathered Rarity and Applejack. "Follow my lead okay?"

After telling them my plan, Twilight decided to gaze back at us.

"So, who's up for another slumber party tomorro-" The three of us threw a couple of pillows at Twilight. She just giggled. "Okay, you got me. Seriously, how about a week from Thursday? Oh how about two weeks from Saturday? A month from now?"

We didn't respond, but we only threw more pillows to Twilight as we laughed. The sun started to come out, and it was only a matter of time before AJ and Rarity went home.

I was pretty much out cold throughout the day til sunset, finally getting some sleep. Even a shouting Silver couldn't wake me up. I didn't tell him that I borrowed his mattress for Rarity and Applejack and now it was drenched in rainwater, mud, and leaves and twigs.

Did I say that yesterday was supposed to be beautiful? Not what I had planned, but still pretty rad.

* * *

 _Author's Note!_

 _Late update, admittedly. I got a huge writer's block on this one._

 _Regarding the previous chapter (lol), It was just me having some fun to cool off my mind after studying for my finals. Allegedly an April Fool's Chapter also._

 _And no, I'm not quiting. And yes, there will be more chapters._

 _As always, Fav it! Follow it! Review and tell me what you think! LUMINOUS FADING AWAY..._

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT MY THREE OC'S!**


	13. Stripes Aren't Everything

**_The Misadventures of Ponified Friends_**

 ** _Chapter 12: Stripes Aren't Everything (Bridle Gossip)_**

* * *

 **(Silver's POV)**

"Now THIS is the kind of weather that I wanted a few days ago!" My yellow Pegasus friend exclaimed as he floated above me, observing the sight. "I mean look, look! There's not a single cloud in the sky!"

I rolled my eyes as we continued to walk through town. "Yeah, I get it. You worked your butt off. I have to say, that storm really left some good results. Have you seen the apple trees back in the farm? They're as healthy as ever."

"Yeah, man. We've just been there," He chuckled, lowering his altitude to meet me in the eye.

"Well, this world DOES work differently than ours." I said.

"I bet everyone's having a good day under this sunshine! Kids playing, adult's chatting, some ponies singing randomly and uh- and uh-umm… huh?" Speedy suddenly stopped fluttering as he landed with a confused face, making me halt as well.

Now that I noticed, the town was completely empty and awfully quiet… too quiet, actually. We looked around as a wind breezed in. There weren't any ponies in our sight.

"Okay… was not expecting this." Speedy said. "Could it be some sort of Pony holiday that we didn't know?"

"Not entirely sure."

We continued walking despite our suspicions. All that we could hear was the wind, which was pretty eerie and I didn't like that. It made me pretty jumpy. We were further into town and from there we could see some Ponies now.

They were all shutting doors, and closing their windows. Hell, we saw a kid coming out of her house and her mum dragged her back inside. And a tumble weed just rolled in front of us…

"Alright, something weird is going on and I wanna know!" Speedy exclaimed.

I shushed him. "Don't shout! I'm wondering, too."

"It's literally all sunshine and rainbows out here and these ponies wanna close themselves in? Is it Opposite Day or something?"

"There's no such thing as Opposite Day, Lem."

"There could! We're in magical ponyland! Or does my breath stink?" I sighed as he tested his guess. "Nah, smells like peppermint."

I'm pretty sure he was trying to be funny again.

" _Pssst~!_ "

"What?" I turned to Lem.

"That wasn't me, dude." He said.

"Hahaha, very funny. You think you can scare me?"

"I'm serious, that wasn't me!"

I looked around. "There's no else around but us."

" _Pssst!_ " Oh my god, he was not kidding.

" _Silver Spur! Speedy!_ "

I looked for the source amongst these buildings surrounding us. The voice kinda sounded like Pinkie Pie. Coincidentally, Sugarcube Corner was just in front of us, and it WAS Pinkie, and she was peeking and ducking in front of the store's door. She scared the crap outta me.

" _Come over here!_ " she called as Lemuel and I exchanged looks. She gestured us to come towards her with a hoof. " _Hurry! Before she gets you!_ "

"Whoa whoa whoa, who's 'she'?" Speedy demanded.

"This better not be one of your pranks, Pinkie." I told her sternly.

" _I'm not joking!_ " she responded. _"Come inside quick! QUICK!"_

Lemuel and I exchanged looks and shrugs before we entered Sugarcube Corner to entertain the pink pony

Once we were inside, I saw nothing but darkness. I moved around a little bit until I bumped into someone.

"Sorry." I said in an instant.

"No harm done." Speedy said.

"Pinkie Pie, why are you all alone in here?"

"I'm not alone." she said.

"Wait, come again?"

Pinkie went and moved aside the blinds of the windows, illuminating the room. Once our eyes adjusted to the brightness, I was surprised that the gang was all here, even Applebloom. So that's why the two sisters hadn't come home earlier.

"Okay… Why are you all in the dark?" I questioned.

"That's what I asked them earlier, too." Twilight said.

"Because we're hidin' from _her_!" AJ pointed outside the window and the others did too.

Might as well check what the fuss was all about. I looked outside, and saw some pony cloaked and hooded. I noticed that that the fur of her forelegs was striped black and white, her right front hoof ornamented with some gold, metal bracelets. For some reason, she was digging at the ground and nothing more. I gazed back at the girls and they were all shivering in fright except for Twilight.

"So you're all scared of someone wearing a cloak and digs at the ground? You're kidding us, right?" Speedy commented, looking displeased.

I kept watching the shady looking pony's moves. She stopped for a moment, and then glanced towards our direction. I swore her eyes were glowing, in a scary way. I kinda understood why they were all afraid.

"Woah, that was cool." Speedy chuckled.

"Did you two see her?" Applebloom asked. "Did you see Zecora?"

"Applebloom! I told ya never to say that name!" AJ scolded the young pony.

"Why? She just glanced this way and that's it." Twilight demanded.

"Glanced EVILLY this way!" Pinkie intervened.

"Then a bunch of you flipped out for no good reason."

" _No good reason?_ You can't be protecting your kin for no good reason?" AJ slung her right hoof over Applebloom protectively and pulled her closer. "Why, as soon as my sister saw Zecora ridin' into town, she started shaking right in her horse shoes."

Speedy snorted. "Well, she wouldn't if you aren't shaking her."

AJ gasped. "I am not!"

"Y-y-y-y-es, y-ou a-a-are!" Applebloom managed to say before she was put into a fireman's carry by her sister.

"So I swept her up and brought her here-" AJ continued.

"I walked here myself!" Applebloom countered.

"-for safekeeping!"

"Applejack I'm not a baby." She hopped down her sister's back. "I can take care of myself!"

"Not from that creepy Zecora!"

"She's mysterious…" Fluttershy said.

"Sinister!" Rainbow Dash added.

"and spooOOOoky!" Gosh darn it, Pinkie Pie.

I gave them a stare before I looked back out again, focusing on the hooded Zecora. I suddenly felt a lot of weight behind me, and when I glanced behind almost everyone was pushing their way to observe through the window.

For a moment, this Zecora pony stopped digging and pulled back her hood, revealing a black and white Mohawk. The others gasped at the reveal, which I thought was pretty overdramatic. .

"Will you guys cut that out?" Twilight told them.

"Just look at those stripes, so garish!" Rarity commented.

"It's because she's a Zebra, Rarity." I said.

"A WHAT?" I leaned back at the sudden loudness as they exclaimed.

I blinked. "You know, kinda look like ponies but striped with black and white?"

Twilight nodded. "Zebras are born with it, so it's not a fashion choice Rarity."

The white pony then fainted melodramatically. You know what fashion does to her.

"You guys never saw a zebra before? Wow, and I thought I was clueless." Speedy laughed.

"I've never seen a pony like that in these parts, except her." AJ declared, still spooked.

"Well, it's obvious that she's not from here." Twilight said. "and she's not a pony. My books say that Zebras come from a far away land."

"Silver should know. He lived there!" Speedy said.

I face hoofed at this loud mouth. Do they even know Africa?!

"Now that I noticed, you kind of have similarities with Zecora." Twilight wondered, making the other's gasp at my well being. What similarities? My colors are black AND silver, not white. And my coat is gray!

I sighed. "I assure you all, I am NOT a zebra. And no, I am NOT enchanted."

"You're African, though."

"Lem, I'll buck you right in the face!"

"I wonder where she lives." Twilight continued.

"That's just it. She lives in… the Everfree Forest!" AJ announced as a sudden racket startled us.

"Speedy!"

"Sorry!" he shouted from the kitchen. "Anyone want cupcakes?"

"The Everfree Forest just ain't natural!" Applejack continued. "The plants grow…"

"Animals take care of themselves…" Fluttershy joined in.

"And clouds move…" Rainbow added.

"All on their OWN!" The trio of girls exclaimed in symphony, and Rarity once again fainted.

"… and that's unnatural?" I couldn't help but wonder, and they all nodded vigorously.

"Plants growing? Animals in their natural habitat? And weather works naturally? Sounds pretty much like our world!" Speedy said as he came back with a handful of food. I forgot that it was lunch.

"That's not all; because that's where that wicked enchantress Zecora does her evil- uh, STUFF!" Pinkie said, and I could tell that she wasn't even sure. "She's so evil, I even wrote a song about her!"

"Here we go…" Rainbow groaned, looking annoyed.

 _"She's an evil enchantress!_

 _She does evil dances!_

 _And if you look deep in her eyes she'll put you in trances!_

 _And what will she do?_

 _She'll mix up an evil brew!_

 _Then she'll gobble you up in a big tasty stew_

 _so watch out!"_

Pinkie Pie remained in her pose for a while as we stared at her in silence. I felt like I became dumber listening to that… No offense.

"Well that was certainly catchy." Way to break the silence, Speedy.

"It's a work in progress." Pinkie said, looking proud as hell.

"This is all just a lot of gossip and rumors. Now tell me, what have you actually seen Zecora do?" Twilight demanded.

"Well… once a month she comes into Ponyville." Rainbow Dash replied, prompting Twilight to react sarcastically.

"Then, she lurks by the stores." Rarity said.

"Oh my!" Twilight sarcastically reacted again.

"And then, she digs at the ground…" Fluttershy finished.

We heard Speedy gasp in overreaction. "Zecora's evil because she's… SHOPPING?" He then pretended to be upset as he kept on shaking his head in anger. "Of all the evil things she had to do, why SHOPPING? Ponyville is doomed!" He then took a bite of a donut after his sarcastic remark.

"How is any of this bad? Maybe she just comes to town to visit and shop with any other pony, like Speedy Glee said." Twilight said in agreement and for once I did too as I nodded.

"Yeah! Maybe she's just trying to be neighborly! And everypony likes to shop!" At least Applebloom knew what was up, and she was a kid. "You know what I think-?"

"Applebloom! Hush and let the big ponies talk." Applejack interrupted her younger sister rather rudely.

"I am a big pony." I heard the younger filly mutter.

After being silent for a while, I decided to speak. "The only weird thing about her is the ground digging. I'm sure there's an explanation to it."

"What if she's digging for innocent creatures?" Fluttershy wondered, worry clear in her voice.

"There's an explanation to everything. Maybe if someone is brave enough to approach her, we will find out the truth!" Twilight suggested.

Hmm, come to think of it. "Has everyone at least talked to her?"

They all looked at one another, and they didn't mutter a single word.

I raised a brow. "No one? Not even once? Then why all the negative reactions? You're just judging her based on how she looks? That's ridiculous!"

"Well, I heard that Zecora eats HAY!"

"Pinkie Pie, YOU eat hay! Heck, even I eat hay! And our kind does not normally eat hay!"

"Yeah, but I heard it's the EVIL way she eats hay." Ugh. There was no point in arguing with this pink pony, was there?

"Hey, where's Applebloom?" Applejack interrupted as she looked all over the place.

"The door's open!" Fluttershy pointed.

"She went outside!" Rarity cried.

"And Zecora's still out there!" Don't add in the fear, Rainbow!

"That silly lil' filly! I told her to stay put!" Applejack began running out the building in which everybody followed.

These kids around here seriously needed to learn not to stick their nose around serious business. I'd do whatever it takes to prevent another disaster like that time with the Ursa Minor and Snips and Snails.

"One of you needs to stay here in case Applebloom gets back." Twilight looked back at Speedy and I before she made a break for it.

I nodded, and I already decided. "Speedy, stay here and wait."

He did a double take. "I'm sorry, me?"

"No time to argue! Just stay here and wait for us!" I yelled as I pushed the door open and rushed outside, ignoring my friend's cries of dispute.

It only took me a few seconds to catch up with the girls. We galloped our way and made a beeline straight to the path of that wretched forest. As we entered the outskirts of the Everfree, we made it just in time to see Applebloom tiptoeing behind the unaware zebra surrounded by a bunch of blue flowers.

As the girls walked through the patches, for some odd reason, I stopped before I could step through it as well. Even from far ahead, I noticed earlier that Zecora avoided the flowers on purpose. I had no idea why.

"Applebloom!" AJ yelled. Applebloom gasped as she gazed back. "You get back here right now!"

"Beware, beware you pony folk!" Zecora exclaimed in a warning tone, backing away into a fog. "Those leaves of blue are not a joke!"

"You keep your creepy mumbo jumbo to yerself, ya hear!" Applejack yelled back, picking Applebloom up as the others followed her lead. Only Twilight and I remained silent at their assault.

"Oh brother."

"Beware! Beware!" Zecora said one last time before being engulfed in the thick mist.

"Back at ya, Zecora! You and your lame curses are the ones who better beware!" Rainbow persisted to fight back. That was completely unnecessary.

"And you! Why couldn't you just listen to your big sister?" Applejack questioned, glaring at Applebloom.

"I…I…"

"Who knows what kind of nasty curse Zecora could have put on you?"

"Hey, at least Zecora didn't even bother to lay a hand-I mean hoof on her." I stepped in.

"You can never tell! She could have casted it on her with those creepy chantin' mumbo jumbo of hers!"

"Just like in my song!" Pinkie said before singing a short version of it.

"You guys, there's no such thing as curses!" Twilight said.

"Well that's interesting to hear coming from Miss Magic Pants herself who lives with three aliens." Rainbow responded, poking Twilight's horn.

She rolled her eyes. "My magic, REAL magic, comes from within. It is a skill you are born with. Curses are artificial, fake magic. It's conjured with potions and incantations. It's all smoke and mirror that is meant to scare. It has no power and it's just an old pony tale."

Okay, well, If I remember correctly, Night Mare Moon was considered an old pony tale as well and we ended up fighting her. I'm in another world, in a pony body, surrounded by mythical creatures AND animated animals that talk. I'd wound up believing that anything is possible now.

Before I knew it, everyone was retreating back to town as I side stepped to make way.

"Just you wait, Twilight. You're gonna learn that somepony tales really are true." Applejack warned eerily before walking away. Didn't we all learn that before? How quickly they forget.

Twilight sighed as she stood back and wondered as the others finally left the forest.

"Twilight. let's go home, too." I called her

She looked back and started to come over. "You're not going back to Sweet Apple Acres?"

"It was all just small time errands so I'm done for the day."

Twilight and I began heading home, but I couldn't help myself looking back at those highly suspect flowers.

 _Those leaves of blue are not a joke…_

"Hey, Twilight?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you feel… different? Anything weird?"

She examined herself. "I don't feel different. Why do you ask?"

"Uh- nothing. It's… probably just me." I shook my head.

* * *

"So the girls yelled at Zecora and she just backed off?" Speedy asked. "No curses or magic lasers and stuff?"

"Yes and NO, nothing like that happened. She didn't even answer back. I still don't understand why they're so angry and scared at her when they haven't even talked to her before or she had done something wrong or evil ever." I stated, lying down in my bed. "She even gave us some weird warning."

"What did she say?"

"Beware, beware you pony folk. Those leaves of blue are not a joke."

He chuckled. "What's with the rhyming?"

"Trust me. That's exactly what she said." I rolled my eyes at him. "Around that time, we were in an area full of blue flowers. I have a feeling that those were the _leaves of blue_ she was talking about."

"Do they give you allergies or something?" He responded. "Did you touch one?"

"I didn't. When I saw Zecora avoiding it, I just had the feeling that I should too."

"What about the others?"

"Yeah, they did. Stepped all over it actually, but Twilight didn't feel anything out of the norm."

"If it didn't affect them, then stop worrying." Speedy yawned. "That zebra probably told you all that to make you scram and stop bothering her."

"I hope so." I said. "We should get some sleep."

"Nah, maybe I'll read a book first."

"YOU? Reading a book? Never thought I'd see the day." I said in bewilderment. "I only see you read books in lecture."

"What? Am I forbidden to digest knowledge on casual occasions?" he demanded in offense. "Besides, it helps me get bored so I could fall asleep fast."

"Two birds, one stone?"

"Two birds, one stone baby!"

I sighed. "Yeah, well good luck with that. I'm turning over now."

"Hey, did you know that romantic novels have the most effect? It's funny, because there was this one book about this mare that was just fooling around her lover's little di-"

"La la la la la! I don't want to hear your unnecessary info so go to sleep la la la la!"

"It's true!"

* * *

I woke up early to ready myself for another day's work.

Even if the sun was just starting to raise, a bunch of ponies were going on and about already. Cheerful and happy little ponies they were, and as if they had all recovered from the _terror_ yesterday that is Zecora the Zebra. The mood of the town came back to normal as morning was finally here.

I arrived and entered the Sweet Apple Acres. Before I would start the work load, I'd always make sure to come by the house first and greet every pony a good morning. Most of the time, I always end up having breakfast with the Apple family, anyway.

I made my way to the front door, and before I could knock, I heard a sudden high pitched scream on the second floor of the house.

"What the hell was that!?" I said to myself before entering the house. I made my way up the stairs and saw Big Mac and Applebloom outside their rooms. "What happened?"

"We just heard a weird scream out of nowhere." Applebloom responded while Big Mac just nodded his head. Both were clearly confused.

"I knew it! I knew it!" There was that weird voice again, and it was coming from Applejack's room.

I knocked on her door. "Applejack? You alright?"

"No, I ain't ALL RIGHT!" wait, that weird voice was Applejack?! "I can't reach the door knob!"

"What do you mean you can't reach it?" I asked.

"Silver Spur, I'm smaller than a rodent over here!"

"You're WHAT?"

I finally opened the door and I looked around. I scanned Applejack's room and saw no pony.

"Down here!"

I did and I almost jumped back in shock. She could even be smaller than a mouse!

"See? I told ya that curses are real!"

Applebloom gasped. "Sis! Why are ya so small?"

"Don't mind me; I'm just fine and dandy." She and her little hooves marched towards the young one. "Are you okay? Zecora didn't do anything curse-y to you, did she?"

"I'm fine, Applejack." Applebloom responded. "How are we gonna turn you back to normal?"

"We need to go to Twilight!" She declared before she looked up at me. Oh my god, it's so weird. "Silver! Let's go to the library."

I nodded. I bowed down and let Applejack climb over my head. "You feel comfortable up there?"

"Comfy, now let's go!"

I felt someone grabbing my hoof before I could gallop.

"I'll come with ya!" said Applebloom. "Maybe there's something I could do-"

"No, Applebloom! Stay here and-!"

"Applejack, it's okay." I interrupted. I looked down at Applebloom. "You can come with us kid, but promise not to leave out of our sight like before?"

The kid nodded vigorously. "I will."

"Okay, then let's move."

I ran back to the library with the utmost care so that Applejack wouldn't fall down and I wouldn't realize it. When we arrived, everybody was already there and gathered into one crowd, and I could not believe my eyes.

Twilight's horn had blue dots and it was grossly floppy, and Pinkie Pie's tongue was swelling and had blue dots as well. Rainbow Dash's wings were, jeez, I couldn't describe it properly. I guess her wings were placed upside down on her stomach and she was crashing all over the place. That hairy, white heap of mess over there must be Rarity. I bet that she must be freaking out mentally.

Fluttershy had no abnormalities, so that was a relief.

Nope. She definitely had one, I'm sure.

"See! I told ya SO!" Applejack exclaimed from the top of my head. When Twilight faced us she gasped, while Speedy over there was trying not to laugh.

"It's a curse! A curse I tells you!"

"But Speedy, Silver and Fluttershy seem just fine!" Twilight said.

"Yes, it doesn't seem a thing wrong with them!" Rarity stated, blowing her ridiculously long and squiggly bangs when she spoke.

"Nothing weird happened to me."

"It's because you're already retarded." I quipped.

"Yeah, It's because I'm already- Oh, I see what you did there." Speedy smirked and I just sighed and rolled my eyes.

"Nothing's wrong with me, either." I then turned to Fluttershy. "What about you? Are you okay?"

She stayed silent, and she turned her head away sulking.

"Fluttershy? Is there something wrong with you?" Twilight asked.

Fluttershy glanced back and hesitantly nodded.

"Would you care to tell us?"

Fluttershy refused by looking away from the annoyed Twilight.

"So… you're not gonna tell us?"

The timid Pegasus nodded.

"Yes, you're not or yes, you will?"

As Fluttershy shook her head, I felt Applejack's hooves impatiently tapping on my scalp. It felt like I was repeatedly getting hit by pebbles.

"Good gravy, girl! What's wrong with you!?" AJ demanded.

Fluttershy stared at Applejack in surprise before looking away from everypony once again. She held her head down, and then she spoke.

"I don't wanna talk about it…"

… Umm, _he_ spoke?

And just like that, Speedy was having another one of his laughing fits.

"Oh my god! I can't even- WoohooHOO!" He rolled around the floor like an idiot that he was. "I'm so sorry guys, but I can't help but find this all funny! Ahahahaha! Look at yourselves! Ladies and gentlemen, we have _Harity_ , _Rainbow Crash_ , _Spitty Pie_ , _Apple Tiny_ , _Flutterguy_ and…" he bit his lip to suppress his laughter. " _Twilight Flopple_! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

I faced hoofed.

"Speedy, this is no laughing matter!" Twilight scolded him.

"It's no use, Twilight. He's not gonna stop just from that." I sighed. "Speedy, come here and I'll end it for you."

He sniffed. "Okay… hehehe… It's funny right? Twilight Flopp-"

I immediately swung my right hoof and hit him in the face… as he fell flat on the floor very hard. I winced. My slap was that strong?

Oh right, I have hooves now. I just hoped he didn't suffer brain damage.

I noticed that everyone was exchanging looks at me then to Speedy's unconscious body.

I shrugged. "What? We always do that back at home. In fact, he insists on it."

"Really? Violence stops him from laughing?" Twilight said.

"If it works, it works."

Twilight recovered by going back to the convo seriously. "All right everyone, we've got to find more books so I can find a cure."

"I think we'll find a cure for this curse…" Rainbow Dash said, and she somehow broke a ladder and now she was stuck on it before popping out of it. "at Zecora's place!"

"It's not a curse!" Twilight disagreed as Rainbow Dash crashed in the bookshelves.

"I agree with Dash! Silver, put me down on the table!" Applejack ordered which I obeyed diligently. "We'll go to Zecora's and force her to remove this hex!"

"It's not a hex, either!"

The girls then started to argue with each other, and then they were on a zone, almost impossible to break up. I tried to intervene but they were unstoppable.

 _I've got to try one more time, and loudly_ I thought to myself.

So I took a deep breath, and I was about to shout _GUYS!_ when a realization hit me.

Where the hell was Applebloom?!

I looked around, and it was hopeless. That kid made a promise! Oh shit, Applejack was going to kill me! Quick, think, think, think!

Damn it! I couldn't think if anything!

The girls were still fighting with each other and Speedy was still knocked out. I took advantage of the situation and ran out of the library in haste.

My legs were taking me to the direction of the Everfree Forest. This place was a total trouble and kid magnet! The run was long, but it didn't tire me out.

I immediately called for Applebloom once I entered the forest.

"Applebloom! Where are you?" I called, turning in every direction as I ran. "Applebloom! Once I find you, we are both so dead to AJ and Big Mac!"

With my head turning and glancing around, I was so lost and unaware that I tripped into a boulder that made me roll and smash into a bush. I was dizzy and my body was hurt slightly. I thought there was even soil and dirt in my mouth.

My eyes grew wide when something inside my mouth moved. It popped out in between my lips.

"Silver?"

I spat her out. "Applejack?! What are you doing here in the Everfree Forest?" I'd like to avoid the fact that she was inside my mouth.

Man that sounded weird.

"Going after Applebloom!" she shouted. "That young filly dropped me off in this piece of lumber and skedaddled off without me!"

"Which way did she go?"

She nodded her head, pointing north. "Through there, now time's a wastin'!"

"Right!"

I bowed my head and she jumped and settled on top. I felt her grab two of my braids and whipped it up like horse reins.

"Yee-haw! Giddy up, pony!"

"Ow, ow! My hair!"

* * *

We followed a trail that Applejack and I discovered, and it led us to an odd looking hut.

Much like the library, it was hollowed out so that the inside was livable. There were strange ornaments that hung out from the branches of the tree, gigantic masks and bottles with strange, colorful liquids.

"This is Zecora's place? What a peculiar home she has…" I said.

"And It's got 'Enchantress' written all over it." Applejack whispered. "Let's sneak up and peek in her window!"

"Isn't that kind of violating her privacy?"

"We have no time to lose, Silver! Applebloom might be in there!"

"Okay! Okay."

I tried to be as quiet as I could to walk towards a window. Carefully, I lifted my head up and looked inside the hut. The décor was the same as the outside, but twice the amount, and there was a cauldron in the middle where something was coming to a boil.

"Applebloom ain't here! Where the hay could she be?" Applejack wondered in a worry.

"Zecora's not around, either." I observed.

We began to hear voices heading towards our direction. It wasn't Applebloom's, and definitely not Zecora's.

"Oh, I look horrible!"

"Bis pleys plooks horribul!"

"Oh dear, this place DOES look horrible!"

"Rarity and Pinkie Pie?" I stated. The remaining members soon followed.

"Silver Spur! Applejack!" Twilight said. "Why didn't you say anything when you left?"

"I'm sorry. We are kind of looking for Applebloom right now." I told her. "Why are you all here?"

"We all thought that you were after Zecora so we decided to look for you." Rarity said, blowing the hair out of her vision as the others nodded. I just noticed that Rainbow Dash and Speedy weren't in the scene.

"Thank you all for the concern, but Zecora's not he-" I suddenly heard the door open up from the inside, and the zebra walked in unannounced. "Oh shoot!" I exclaimed as I suddenly ducked down.

"Hey! Be careful!" Applejack yelled at me after she dropped down on my head.

"I'm sorry!" I whispered. I motioned the others to crouch down and shush. "Zecora's here!"

I rose up and peeked back again inside the hut.

"Nice decorations, if you like creepy." Rarity commented quietly.

The zebra grabbed a jar from a shelf and poured the contents to the cauldron. She began chanting in a different language. It sounded like… Swahili? Damn, I don't know how to speak Swahili.

"Shte shtole my sthong!" Pinkie announced, enraged. "Shte Shtole bluh blubluh!" Sheesh, say it but don't spray it.

"She stole your song?" Rarity clarified.

"Pinkie, that doesn't sound anything like your song." Twilight responded.

Pinkie tried to say something, and then she slid to Fluttershy and begged for something. Pinkie gave her those puppy eyes and Fluttershy sighed in defeat before singing in her really deep voice.

" _She's an evil enchantress_

 _And she does evil dances,_

 _And if you look into her eyes_

 _She will put you in trances._

 _Then what would she do?_

 _She'll mix up an evil brew,_

 _Then she'll gobble you up_

 _in a big tasty stew._

 _So… watch out._ "

Those two probably didn't know how silly they looked.

"YOU saw those terrible things. Now do you believe us, Twilight?" Rarity asked the purple Unicorn.

Twilight looked back inside. "Scary looking masks, confusing incantations, and a great, big, bubbling cauldron… Everything IS pointing to Zecora being bad."

"Or what if she's just making soup? Everyone loves soup!" I considered, but they all just stared at me in disapproval.

We all turned back on the window to see Zecora taking a lick at the weird, green liquid boiling in the cauldron. Never saw anyone taste-testing a food that's boiling. And green.

Zecora hummed in delight. "The perfect temperature for ponies, I presume. Now, where is that little Applebloom?"

… Did she just say what I think she just said?

"Or… What if Zecora loves Applebloom soup?!" I exclaimed.

Then the girls began screaming with me. Oh man, was Zecora holding Applebloom hostage inside?!

Something crashed into Zecora's hut when we whipped our heads back to the window. Zecora became alarmed as she watched Rainbow Dash cause havoc inside, destroying the bottles and jars and even those huge, scary masks.

Everything was so fast that I couldn't even think!

I felt Applejack knock on my head and pulling my braids up. "Don't just stand there!" she pointed to Twilight and the others beginning to barge inside. "Come on, Silver!"

"Please don't pull my hair!"

Once I joined the group and they barged in, Twilight questioned the zebra immediately. "What have you done with Applebloom?"

However, Zecora was still busy with Rainbow Dash as she continued to shout in Swahili. It was fairly obvious that she was telling Rainbow to stop.

I saw a tiny lasso waving on top of me, and Applejack suddenly threw it at the zebra's ear and she swung. Throwing herself on the target, she began wrestling the zebra's ear, but Zecora could only look at her in confusion.

"Ponies!" she began. "What is this-?"

Rainbow Dash continued to fly around until she had hit and knocked the cauldron down as she screamed. Zecora looked at the spilling brew with wide eyes.

"No! You know not what you've do! You've gone and spilled my precious brew!" she said, kneeling over the spilled cauldron.

"We're onto you, Zecora. I didn't want to believe that you cursed us, but the evidence is overwhelming." Twilight told her.

"You made me look ridiculous!" Rarity said.

"You made me SOUND ridiculous." Fluttershy added.

"Pptthu ade mu pluh plehplepulousss!" Uh, Pinkie probably said that she made her speech incoherent.

"You ruined my horn!" Twilight gestured at her sloppy and dotty horn.

"How dare you! You destroy my home, destroy my work, and you accuse ME of being a JERK?" Zecora spoke angrily.

"You put this curse on us, and now you're gonna UNcurse us!" Rainbow proclaimed.

"It is unwise to venture down this road, and your actions will make my anger explode!" Zecora roared

"Where is Applebloom?" Twilight demanded, advancing forward before she locked heads with the zebra.

I tried to step in before things had gone out of hand, "Girls! Can we sort this without being antagonistic to one another?"

"Zecora! I've found the things you asked for!" A voice exclaimed.

"Her house looks weird. Add that to the reasons to think she's evil." Another voice said.

It was Applebloom, and Speedy, somehow awake, was with her. They walked in and noticed the hubbub.

"What in Ponyville is goin' on here?"

"Applebloom! You're okay!"

The young pony smiled at her sister. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because Zecora is an evil enchantress who cursed us and was gonna cook you up into soup!" said Twilight, jumping in front of Applebloom in a defensive stance.

Right then and there, Zecora and Applebloom began to laugh together.

"Looks like this whole ordeal finally got in your head." Speedy told the purple Unicorn. "There are no such things as curses. I don't know how the others convinced you. Oh, I'm okay by the way, although I keep hearing a constant noise inside my head so I'm not going to sleep tonight. "

"Speedy, you just can't stand there and tell us this isn't a curse." Twilight replied.

"Oh sweetie, it is NOT." Speedy turned to me. "Yo dude! Remember what you told me last night? Turns out you were right!"

I began remembering the things I've said. "The blue flowers? They really caused the weird abnormalities?"

He nodded. "That's right. Well, at least that's what Applebloom told me earlier."

"I'll be damned."

" _Blue flowers_? Are you trying to tell us that these blue flowers changed us into _this_?" Twilight demanded, portraying their oddities.

"It's true! Zecora isn't the cause of your problems. As a matter of fact, she was trying to help you." Applebloom told the girls.

"They are right." Zecora responded. "If you remember back, the words I spoke were quite exact."

"Beware you pony folk, those leaves of blue are not a joke…" I murmured. "So it WAS a warning!" I said to Zecora.

"It is a warning, I did not bluff. Even if you ponies were a little… rough."

I winced. We totally misjudged her right now.

"About that blue plant you stepped on, it's called a Poison Joke." Applebloom said.

"That plant is much like Poison Oak, but it's results are like a joke." Zecora added.

Now THAT was pretty self-explanatory.

"What in the hay does that mean?" Applejack asked from atop Zecora's head.

"It means that THIS plant does not breed wrath. Instead, this plant just wants a laugh."

"Will somepony please talk normal?"

"I think what she's saying is when we ran in to save Applebloom, we ran into the Poison Joke. All our problems are just little jokes played on us!" Twilight explained.

I didn't think those were _little_ though.

"Little jokes? Very funny…" Applejack repeated in offence.

"And you knew that right from the start?" Twilight questioned me. "Why didn't you say anything sooner? And why aren't you affected by the Poison Joke?"

"I uh… My instincts told me not to step on it?"

Twilight sighed in frustration, and I really felt bad right now.

"Okay fine, but what about the cauldron?" Rainbow Dash began.

"The chanting?" Fluttershy added.

"And the creepy décor?" questioned Rarity.

"Treasures of the native land, where I am from." Zecora answered, looking over to a couple of masks. "This one speaks _hello_ , and this one _welcome_."

"Doesn't look quite welcoming at all, if you ask me." Rarity told her.

"The words I chanted were from olden times, something you might call a nursery rhyme." Zecora continued

"But the cauldron? The Applebloom Soup?" Twilight demanded.

" _Applebloom Soup_? Girl you lost it!" Speedy then laughed at her.

"Oh what do YOU know? You just got here!" Twilight yelled.

"True, but I know things that YOU don't so, HAH-BURN!"

"Is he always this annoying?" Twilight asked.

I sighed as I looked at Speedy. "Well, he always makes that face when he knows something that we don't. You'll get used to it."

"Lookie here, Twilight." Applebloom called. "That pot of water wasn't for me; it was for all these herbal ingredients."

She pointed to Speedy who was holding a bag full of herbs.

"The cure for Poison Joke is a simple, old natural remedy. You just gotta take a bubble bath!"

Twilight walked over to an open book. "But I tried to find a cure in all my books and couldn't find anything. What book has this natural remedy?"

Zecora followed, closing the book and allowed us to look at the cover. "Here is the book, you see? Sad, that you lack it in your library."

"…Actually, I DO have this book. But I didn't look inside because the title was so… _weird_."

Zecora opened the book once again, turning to a page that was related to our dilemma. " _Supernaturals: Natural remedies and cure-alls that is simply super_."

Twilight looked down, ashamed. "I…I'm so sorry, Zecora. I had the answer the whole time if only I bothered to look inside…"

"I bet you wish you did." Speedy said, which made me walk over to him and punch him in the shoulder. "Ow! What?!"

"Not. Helping." I hissed. "Twilight, please don't feel bad about this. All of us." I took one moment to face Zecora and apologize. "We're very sorry Zecora. For all the trouble we've caused."

Zecora chuckled. "Your apology, I am willing to accept, if you promise that you will not pose a threat."

"We promise. Right guys?" I said. Streams of agreeing and apologetic words came out of each pony.

"Now all of you have learned to take a second look, and not to judge the cover of a book." Zecora told all of us.

Easier said than done if this was the real world.

"Zecora, would you be kind enough to mix up another batch of your herbal bath?" Twilight asked kindly.

"Mix it up, I certainly will." Zecora answered. "Yet, I am missing an herb from Ponyville.

"But whenever Zecora comes to town, all the shops are mysteriously closed." said Applebloom.

"And I still wonder why." Speedy said sarcastically.

"Oh, well… I think we can help you with that." Twilight said reassuringly.

And back to Ponyville, we go.

We all led Zecora back to the center of the town, and soon enough the ponies began panicking again when they saw the returning Zebra. I doubt that she was the only reason they were afraid.

"Look Rose, how awful!"

"The wicked enchantress has cursed them all!"

"The horror, the horror!"

The three ponies took off screaming their lungs out as they entered their flower shops.

"Seriously, even if a cute bee landed on their flowers they would still freak out." Speedy commented. "And I mean it literally."

Regardless though, Twilight advanced to the flower shop and knocked until someone opened the door slightly.

"Daisy, we need to talk."

* * *

I stayed outside the room where the bathtub was placed in this spa, or salon, or… I don't know, they're all the same to me. The smell inside was unbearable, with all that flowery fragrance and fresh, minty, fruity tangency. I don't like this, okay? Add that to my enhanced senses as a horse.

The girls started to enjoy the bath after Zecora made the finishing touches on the tub with the help of the ponies who ran the place and Applebloom. I heard splashes, some small ones and a big one, courtesy of either Pinkie or Rainbow. They laughed in excitement and joy, having fun together in that bath.

"Zecora, I would like to get your recipe for this bath. It is simply luxurious!" A pony told her in an accent I am not familiar.

I didn't hear Zecora's response when Applebloom shouted inside. "Applejack! Where's Applejack?!"

The girls began panicking and I took a peek. I sighed in relief when I saw Applejack sitting on a small wooden bowl.

"I'm right here, lil' sis. I ain't tiny no more!" she said.

"Oh, I have never felt so lovely in all my life!" Rarity exclaimed in bliss. Did it really felt good? I see no difference in swimming in a pool.

"Oh my gosh! I just realized how HORRIBLE it is not being able to talk! I mean I love talking so much and when I couldn't talk and my tongue was all _eeehhhh!"_ aaaand Pinkie's back. "It was the WORST! Don't you agree, Fluttershy?"

"… Yes." Thank goodness, she's back. The dude voice was creepy!

Everyone inside laughed at the response while I just made a low chuckle and I shook my head in amusement.

"This is the best bath I've had in awhile!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"Shoot, I never had a bath like this in ages." Applejack followed.

"Come on up here and join us, Silver." Twilight called. "You and Speedy have got to try this."

"Oh don't mind me." I said, laughing awkwardly. "I'm not- I don't really do all this stuff. Speedy might, though he's in the sauna right now, so-"

"Oh, pish posh! Everyone deserves relaxation and letting lose after all that has happened today." said Rarity.

"And don't feel awkward just because you're the only male here. We're all friends!" Easy for you to say, Twilight.

Ugh, and she just had to bring that up. I'd never been surrounded by girls all alone in a really long time (Last time was a family reunion when I was a kid). Of course I'd feel embarrassed, and they aren't just girls. Girls who were probably around my age AND female ponies. My teenage hormones combined with my animal instincts could mess me up! Bestiality is wrong, bestiality is wrong!

Shoving some unavoidable and nasty thoughts aside, I heard the girls cheering me up to join them. I breathed deeply "Oh alright."

Hesitantly, I walked towards the tub and examined the water as the girls moved to the side. It SO reeked of girly smell. I dipped a hoof carefully as I descended down the bathtub, until my body was submerged and only my head was visible.

It felt awkward that they were watching me, expecting a reaction.

Hmm… It feels weird. A good weird, I guess? It's as if those herbs mixed with the warm water were soothing my muscles that were aching. The tension or stress on my left shoulder was slowly dissolving. I thought my skin was getting detoxified.

And before I knew it, I let out a sigh of pleasure as I sunk down the tub. I never felt so healthy!

I heard the girls giggling as I closed my eyes, indulging this newfound stress reliever.

"How are you feeling, Silver Spur? Delightfully indulgent, is it not?" Rarity asked.

"Just like heaven…" I responded, causing them to giggle some more.

I'll be damned, I could get used to this.

* * *

 _Author's note!_

 ** _*Climbs out of a mountain full of dishes, pans, and garbage bags*_**

 _Oh my god! Finally, an update to this story! Sorry that it took awhile. again. for like what, the infinite time? If that's even possible._

 _Unfortunately, A bunch of long weekend outings AND my part time job is keeping me from updating and being motivated to get my chapters done. I'm earning money for the Deluxe edition of Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinte next month and for a brand new laptop. I'd like to blame procrastination too, which is also causing my Writer's block. And Netflix._

 _Excuse, excuse, excuse, right? Get used to it lol_

 _As always, you know the drill!_

 _Fav it! Follow it! Review and tell me what you think! **LUMINOUS FADING AWAY...**_

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT MY BELOVED OC'S!**


	14. Pinkie Pied Piper of Ponyville

**_The Misadventures of Ponified Friends_**

 _ **Chapter 13: Pinkie Pied Piper of Ponyville (Swarm of the Century)**_

* * *

 **(Speedy's POV)**

"Hurry up guys! The library isn't gonna clean itself!"

It obviously didn't mess itself. That's what I say…

"Princess Celestia will be here tomorrow." Twilight reminded us again for like, what, the 10th time while she was dusting the books?

"Jeez, it's just a casual visit, Sparkles." I said to her, sweeping the floor with the broom in my hooves.

You know, the library wasn't totally a MESS this morning. When a letter arrived yesterday morning in Town Hall that concerned Princess Celestia's 'unofficial and casual' visit, Twilight suddenly started freaking out and began to say _do this!_ and _do that!_ to everyone in town.

The books were all stacked and neatly minding their own business in the shelves. Why did she have to ruin it? Why are we even cleaning the library? She's not exactly staying here.

The pressure of being a student of a princess must be unbelievable _and_ unbearable. I'm sure glad I'm not too smart and responsible, and I meant that in a kind of way where I am delighted than I should be.

"There's nothing casual about a visit from royalty! I want this place to be spotless, and you've barely made a dent in the clutter!"

"Well maybe if you'd start reading books one at a time-" A voice cut me off when I almost started an argument with her.

"Dude, you are not helping!" Silver said from a ladder, arranging books at the top-most shelf. "Twilight, just relax. We're doing this as fast as we can."

"I'm sorry. I just want everything to be perfect when she arrives." Twilight exclaimed. "There's no time fooling around!"

Girl, this is fooling around to you?

"This would be a lot easier if it weren't the three of us getting under each other's feet-I mean hooves." Silver said as he climbed down the ladder. "Why don't you check the preparations outside Twilight?"

"Great idea, Silver!" Twilight handed me the duster. "You two clean the library while I'll go see how everyone else is holding up."

When Twilight left the library, I glanced to the man who made the suggestion annoyingly. "Thanks a lot, Hassan. Now we have to work twice as hard!"

"Oh stop complaining." Silver walked towards a pile of scattered books. "I've already done my job in Sweet Apple Acre's and came back home to help voluntarily. YOU however, have a free schedule today so it's not gonna kill you to sweep and dust."

I groaned. "Fine… But all this hard work better be worth it!"

"You call this hard work? Just how lazy are you?" Silver questioned. "And remember dude, Celestia's not the only one coming back tomorrow."

"Yeah, yeah, Robert's coming back as well with Spike. My goodness, he's in that Canterlot place for more than a week." I said, and then I began to wonder. "What could possibly be the reason why he stayed for so long? Is it a good vacation spot or what?"

"I can think of many, like… you know… regarding the three of us?" Silver said.

"Hmm, that DID cross my mind." I informed him. "But it could be anything. Let's just wait for him to come back. I'm sure he'll tell us."

"We shall see. Let's go back to work then."

As annoyed that I'm feeling right now, there was so much to be done around here. Need to do this fast, because the sooner we finish this, the sooner I could do whatever the hell I want today.

* * *

I took a deep breath as I observed our handiwork. The whole place was dust-free in every corner, the books arranged and re-arranged by topic AND in alphabetical order (which gave me torturous flashbacks), and I even washed the dishes cause I was in a pretty good mood.

"Wow. The place looks brand new." Silver commented.

I smiled proudly. "Eeyup, squeaky clean."

"Gotta admit, you did a good job." Silver said.

"WE, man. WE. And I thought cleaning without hands will be tough."

"Yeah, well-" Silver yawned and loudly as I looked at him, "I'm exhausted, so if you need something I'm just gonna take a nap upstairs."

"Go and do your thing bro. I'm gonna take a breather outside." I said to him before turning around, facing the door. I stretched my body like a cat would do before flying through the door. Once I was outside, I saw that the town was already jammed with colorful decors, mainly blue, green and pink. Oh, and ribbons. Lots and LOTS of ribbons. It was like a festival of ribbons, really.

I was so distracted by the sight that I almost didn't notice a banner that stood out and made me laugh. I glided down and looked closer at the pink written words.

"Welcome Princess _Celest_?" I read aloud and tried to stifle my laughter.

"Yeah… We couldn't fit it all in." A yellow and orange pony said to me. She was with a purple pony with a berry Cutie Mark.

"Boy, if I were you I'd start working with that banner again. You don't want Twilight to see that." I warned. "Trust me."

The two ponies looked at each other and said, "Noted."

I sympathize with the annoyed look on their faces, but it had to be done. I went along and observed the ponies who were working with the décor in the park, and it wasn't too long when I finally saw Twilight checking the flowers that Bon Bon was watering.

"They look beautiful. It's perfect! Keep up the good work." Twilight said in approval as Bon Bon smiled back and continued her work.

"Well someone is super busy." I said, catching Twilight's attention.

"Speedy Glee," she said. "What are you doing here? You're not lazying around again, are you?"

I chuckled. She was in for a real surprise later today. "More like the opposite. Anyways, I can't believe you're inspecting all this stuff by yourself. "

"It's nothing too tough to handle," She said with certainty. "But I admit, I could really use some extra eyes and ears to get this done much faster. If only Spike was here."

"Hey, why don't I help you out? I've got nothing to do anyway." I offered. I'm not sure why, but I was in the mood to do extra work.

"That will be great, Speedy. Are you sure you don't have any other obligations today?"

"I actually have weather duty, but Rainbow Dash got it all covered." I then heard zooming up in the clouds. That pony was in a hurry about something. "See? That's like, five percent of my salary."

"Okay then, I can appreciate the help. Will you go and check the banquet in Sugarcube Corner?" she instructed.

"Sure thing!" I said before galloping towards the bakery.

Oh yeah, the smell coming out of the building was heavenly. I was told that the Sugarcube couple was tasked to cook the food for the Princess, so no wonder it was bound to be special.

I peeked over the door and saw Mr. and Mrs. Cake creating all kinds of confectionary sweets.

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Cake!" I greeted them.

"Hello there, Speedy Glee. What can I do for you?" Mrs. Cake asked while she continued to flatten a dough with the rolling pin.

"I'm here to check the banquet for Twilight. How's it holding up?"

"Well… it would be coming a lot better if…"

She pointed to a table full of completely massacred cakes and deserts. Almost all of the goodies were filled with enormous bite marks except for the huge cake on the other end of the table- Oh. Wait. It was suddenly devoured by Pinkie Pie who gulped it all down in two bites. At least there was another one in the counter over there.

"Uh, Pinkie Pie? You do know that food is for the PRINCESS, right?" I questioned.

Meanwhile, she licked all the frosting around her face in mere seconds and smiled apologetically. "I-I know, that's why I'm tasting them! Somepony needs to make sure that everything is tasty enough to touch the royal tongue."

"That doesn't mean that you have to eat it all! Twilight's gonna lose it if she finds out about this, Pinkie."

'Weeeeell, what if I ACT like a princess?" No, Pinkie. That's not how it works. " _I, Pinkie Pie, declare these treats fit for a king, or a queen, or a princess such as myself_."

"Yeah, I don't think so, even if you're speaking in a regal way." I said indignantly. I kinda understand how my friends feel when I act goofy like this. Yes, I'm aware.

"Pinkie Pie! You won't believe what I-!" Fluttershy's voice rang. She sounded excited for some reason. She stopped when she noticed that Pinkie Pie and I were discussing. "Oh, I'm sorry… am I interrupting?"

"Nah, you didn't interrupt anything so-" I did a double take when I noticed the untouched cake was gone. "What the?! Pinkie Pie!"

She just shrugged and grinned, her teeth full of pink frosting. I don't work here so it's not my problem anyways.

"So what's up, Flutters? You sound jolly earlier." I said.

"Oh you won't believe what I found at the edge of the Everfree Forest. Come on out, little guy. It's okay."

Fluttershy sweetly called something out from inside her hair. Then, something popped out. It looked like a flying, little blue ball of fur with huge eyes. Seconds later, it was followed by a yellow and brown one. She looked surprise at the sight.

"What are thoooose~?" I questioned. Heh, I'm using a dead meme.

"I'm not sure. I'm also not sure where this other two came from." Fluttershy replied.

"Woah… They look so fluffy!" I reached out to the yellow one and held it between my hooves. So soft! "Can I take this one home with me? It'd be cool to have a pet like it."

"Of course!" Fluttershy answered. Yes! "Do you want the other one, Pinkie?"

"Ugh, a _Parasprite_? Are you crazy?!"

"Wait, what?" Did she just look at this poor, innocent creature in disgust?

"Ugh?" Fluttershy said in confusion as we watched Pinkie heading towards the exit.

"Now I gotta finda a trombone!" she declared.

I was puzzled at the way Pinkie was acting right now. "You need a what?"

"A trombone! You know," she proceeded to make trombone noises.

"I know what a trombone is! Tell me why you need- hey! Come back!" It was too late as Pinkie ran off to somewhere. "I swear that girl is weird sometimes."

"Um… that's actually typical Pinkie Pie…" Fluttershy added.

"If you say so." I said. I quickly brushed off the moment as I looked at my new friend. I chuckled as it began to purr and nuzzle my left cheek. "So you're the cuddly type, huh? I think I'm gonna call you… Blitzy!"

"Blitzy really likes you, Speedy." Fluttershy said with a smile.

"Does it now? Anyways, I have to tell Twilight about this stuff." I told her, and man do I had to sugarcoat some details. "You busy today as well?"

"I am. I was picking the prettiest flowers in Ponyville with the critters for Princess Celestia tomorrow." She said. "That reminds me, I need to return and see what they're doing while I was gone."

"Want me to go back with you? I can tell Twilight later-"

"It's fine, Speedy, but I appreciate your help." She told me, before she turned back and walked towards the exit as well with the Parasprites she had.

"Okay then, Blitzy. Wanna go home for a bite?" I asked my newest companion. I don't know what that chirp meant, but it sounded pretty hungry. "Yo Mr. Cake! Can I get six chocolate donuts on the go?"

* * *

"Alrighty, make yourself at home!" I announced, almost slamming the library's door. "Hassan! Food's here!"

I placed the donuts that I bought on the table as I continued to watch Blitzy flying around the room in awe. What did Pinkie Pie call them again? Pair of sprites?

I heard audible hoof stomps making their way on the staircase. "Ugh, did you have to scream?"

"Dude, check this out," I then held my hooves towards Blitzy in the middle of the room. "Say hello to our new friend!"

"What the heck is that?" Silver halted coming down the stairs. "That's a huge bug!"

"Chill out, man. Blitzy's cool!"

" _Blitzy_?"

"Yeah! Come here little fella," I whistled, garnering Blitzy's attention as he began to fly over to me. "It's a Parasprite! Isn't he cute?"

"A Parasprite?" He repeated. "How do you even know it's a _He_?"

I stared at Silver for a moment before turning to Blitzy. "Nah, he's male I'm sure."

He rolled his eyes. "What'd you bring anyway?"

"Donuts from Sugarcube." I answered. "I swear their sugar must be cocaine cause I'm addicted to these bad boys."

"Your way with words is alarming, man." Silver said. He took his place next to me and grabbed one donut from the carton. "But it is kinda true. These are delicious."

I laughed at his response while I took a donut as well. As I was taking my time savoring the flavor, I just wondered what diet the Parasprites had. If it was an insect, do they it eat flowers or something?

Only one way to find out. "Come here, Blitzy. You want a donut? I know you want a donut!"

I grabbed one from the box and placed it on one side of the table. Blitzy carefully landed down next to it and took some sniffs. He looked back at me, as if asking me if it's okay to eat.

"Go on little guy." I smiled approvingly.

That was all he needed to take a bite at the donut. He chirped in satisfaction and continued to take small bites from the sweet treat.

"My, that thing is trained as hell." Silver said. "You seriously just got Blitzy as a pet today?"

"Yeah. Fluttershy found and gave me this cute guy." I said as I petted it.

"He's a nice insect and all, but do you think Twilight will approve of this?"

"What do you mean?" I questioned.

Somebody began to knock on the door. After a moment, it opened and Twilight came in coincidentally.

"Hey, Twilight." Silver and I greeted simultaneously.

"Hello, boys." She said. Her eyes began marveling around the clean library. "Wow! You two really have outdone it!"

"And you call this _lazying around_?" I said with a smirk.

"Okay, Speedy. I'm impressed." she replied admittedly. "How's the banquet coming along?"

Oh shoot! My eyes instantly widened at the question. "Oh, uh, it's um, it's- don't worry about it, okay? The food looks tasty enough for tomorrow. Yeah! The Cakes did great along with Pinkie as taste tester!"

"…Okay?" Whoo! Nailed it. "Nonetheless, you two did wonderful today. I think it's time we all get to re- what is _that_?"

Twilight pointed to Blitzy who was still eating the donut on the table. "THAT, is the newest member of the family. Say hi to Blitzy!"

"It looks amazing! What is it?" Twilight said, observing the heck out of him.

"He said it's a Parasprite." Silver answered. "Sounds like an insect of some kind."

"Oh my, I've never seen anything so… adorable!" she carried Blitzy up and hugged him. That was unexpected. Twilight blushed when she noticed me and Silver looking at her. "Anyway, it'll be nice to have another companion around, especially for Spike so that he won't be a bother so much when I'm studying."

Blitzy made a noise that sounded like a yawn. I looked at the clock. It was already seven?

"Speaking of being a bother, maybe I should let the little one sleep." Twilight said.

She handed me the little Parasprite gently, whose eyes began fluttering to sleep. My _kokoro_ couldn't handle the adorable sight.

Twilight and I gathered around the Parasprite, who was sleeping soundly in Spike's bed that I brought from her room.

"Thanks for letting me borrow it for tonight. I hope he doesn't mind." I said.

"It's okay." she sighed tiredly. "The decorations, the banquet… I hope everything comes together in time tomorrow."

"Don't you worry about a thing, Sparkles." I assured her. "Everything'll go smoothly as a baby's bottom, guaranteed."

"I sure hope so." she yawned. "Make sure you two look presentable for the Princess tomorrow. Good night."

"Night." I waved as she exited our room. I looked at Blitzy one last time before going to bed myself.

* * *

"…Speedy! SPEEDY!"

What the heck? Someone's already screaming at me while I was still sleeping? That's new.

Thanks to the constant bellowing, I found myself awake. I sat up slowly and rubbed my eyes. "Isn't it a little too early to be pissed? What did I do this time?"

"Get down here quick and help me fix this mess!" Twilight yelled.

"What are you talking about?" I yelled back. God, I sound like Tommy Wiseau in the morning.

That's strange.

Why do I keep hearing baby chirp noises around me?

It felt like my eyeballs popped out of their sockets when I looked around the room.

Parasprites. EVERYWHERE!

"Where'd you all come from?!" I screamed as I covered myself with the bed sheets. "Blitzy! You didn't tell me you had friends coming over!"

Speaking of, where the heck did that Parasprite go? Damn it! He had exact copies of himself flying around the room. I didn't know which one is him!

I yelped when someone burst through the door. It was Twilight.

"There's something called _knocking_. Just so you know!" I told her. All the buzzing sounds were beginning to make me dizzy.

"I have no time to explain the situation!" Twilight exclaimed while dragging me out of the bed. I don't where she got the strength to do so. She then led me to her room, which was also pestered by the crawlies.

"Our rooms are not the only ones filled with them. The whole LIBRARY is filled with them!"

"Okay! Just calm down, Twilight!" I said as calmly as I could, motioning with my hooves.

" _Calm down?_ CALM DOWN?! How can I CALM DOWN?! The Princess will arrive within the next few hours! I can't let her see THIS!"

Sheesh, she was REALLY stressed. How did this even begin?

Books began crashing left and right as the Parasprites began to lift random things in the room. Our hard work! We just finished arranging those!

"Hey! Stop it!" I waved around the air madly to make the insects drop whatever it was they were carrying.

"Speedy! Help me round up these little guys!" Twilight commanded while she was shooing them with a duster.

How was I supposed to herd all of them? There must be dozens around!

"Where did you put our saddle bags?" I asked her.

"They're all in the closet downstairs. Why?" The Unicorn answered.

"Let's gather all the Parasprites we can get and bring them to Fluttershy. She'll know what to do with them!"

I sped through downstairs and into the main room of the library, where more of the Parasprites were waiting for me. I sighed as I witnessed a bunch of furniture getting wrecked by these creatures.

Before I could fly to the closet where our saddle bags were stored, I noticed a large group of Parasprites swarming around something huge.

I gasped. "Hey! Get away from him!"

Once I shooed the bugs, I saw Silver breathing very heavily. It got me worried big time.

"Yo! Are you alright? Speak to me, man!" I grabbed him by the shoulder and started to slap him in the face repeatedly. "Don't leave us yet! You're still young!"

I stopped when I heard him groan. "That… hurts… you idiot…"

"Oh my gods, you're okay." I said in relief.

"I'm just tired… I've been stopping them for hours…"

"HOURS?" I glanced at the clock. "But it's already past eight!"

"I don't want to… wake up everybody else because… it's still dark out…"

What the-? How in the hell did I even sleep through all this?! This ain't even a time to be considerate for others!

"Can you at least stand up? We have to bring these things to Fluttershy." I said.

Silver blinked heavily and yawned. "Sure sure… Just let me… let me shut my eyes for a second…" and just like that he was snoring and getting covered by the Parasprites again.

I had never seen him this tired before, aside from the time he got sick months ago. I heard a rumor last year that the basketball camp he attended was so hellishly-difficult that he slept for three days straight when he got home.

Anyways, gotta go back to my task and bring these things back to where they came from.

* * *

One round up later, Twilight, Silver and I began heading to Fluttershy's home.

And I say, capturing these things one by one was difficult. We haven't even had breakfast yet. They even ate all the food!

After a moment, we finally arrived at Fluttershy's and we happened to run into Rarity. We skidded to a stop, and I heard chirping noises in Rarity's saddle bag.

"Let me guess. Parasprites?" I questioned.

"Indeed. I see we're having the same problem?" she replied while she gestured to our bags.

"There's more where that came from, girl."

"DITTO!" We heard Rainbow Dash cry out. She was trying her best to shake off the Parasprites clinging on her.

"Wait, wait, wait. Why do the two of you even have one?" I asked.

"Well, after Twilight left the boutique yesterday, Fluttershy arrived and presented us these things." She shivered. "I didn't know that they can multiply by… Oh, it was simply ICKY!"

"Multiply?" I wondered. Then I remembered something. "So THAT'S why she thought it was weird she had more with her!"

"Can we hold this conversation later?" Twilight intervened. "Fluttershy knows everything about animals. I bet she knows how to stop them from multiplying."

We approached the door and knocked before opening it. We were caught off guard as swarms of Parasprites blasted out of the house.

Silver groaned wearily "Or not…"

"Do something Fluttershy! Can't you control them?" Twilight asked desperately.

"I've tried everything I know!" The Pegasus said, dashing about in her home. "I've tried begging, and pleading, and beseeching, and asking politely and-"

As Fluttershy was being chased by a Parasprite with a skillet, all I could do was grunt in frustration.

"This can't be happening," Twilight whined. "If we can't get them under control before the Princess arrives, it'll be a total disaster!"

Right there in front of me, I watched a Parasprite puke out something wet and hairy, and in a matter of seconds it became a Parasprit- WHAT?! Gross!

"Eeeww~!" Rarity cried in disgust. "If you ask me, it's already a total disaster!"

If that was the way how Parasprites reproduce, then it was only a matter of time before these things could take over all of Ponyville!

"I have an idea to stop them from multiplying!" I declared loudly.

"YOU DO?" The mares exclaimed.

"That's right!" I turned to Silver Spur. "Hassan! Go and fetch me a flamethrower!"

"WHAT?!" Fluttershy cried out in shock.

"We want to stop them, not erase them from existence!" He retorted.

"…Welp, that's all I got." I shrugged.

When the others sighed in disappointment and Fluttershy giving me a death glare (I'm sorry, okay?), Applejack was crossing the bridge with a cart full of apples.

"Here's all those apples you ordered, Fluttershy." she announced. "But I still can't figure out why you need so many."

The flying gremlins noticed her and began attacking the fruits. Not even a single seed was left behind when they were done.

"Hey!"

"What do we do?" Fluttershy asked, worried.

"Why don't we let Applejack take care of this? She's pretty good at herding." Silver brought up.

Twilight gasped in realization. "That's it! Nopony can herd like HER!"

"Yeah! We can drive em' back into the forest!" Rainbow Dash added in encouragement.

Applejack sighed. "Alright, I'll wrassle' em' up, but I need everypony's help to do it. Twilight, you and Rarity wait over there. I'll herd the little critters straight at ya' like a funnel. Rainbow Dash, you and Fluttershy stay on top of 'em. Don't let them fly away. "

"Aye-aye!" RD saluted before she and Fluttershy took off.

"Speedy and Silver, both of ya'll come help me and stay on either side so they won't escape." Applejack ordered to us.

"Roger, AJ!" Silver responded.

"Yeah! Let's do this!" I exclaimed, more than willing to get started.

"Yeeee-haw!"

Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Silver and I started to flee off the Parasprites and bundled them all in a single area. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy prevented them from flying away and lowered them down in the same place.

Once they were packed, the Parasprites formed into a huge sphere and we rolled it into the forest. Applejack began giving orders left and right. "Alright ya'll, here goes nothin'!"

We all took our positions. "Look out Rarity, that one's fixin' to get away! Keep a lean on 'em Rainbow Dash! Hold on gang. We're almost there!"

Suddenly, Pinkie Pie appeared out of nowhere, running in front with Twilight that made her yell her name.

"Twilight! We don't have much time!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"You're telling _me_? The Princess could arrive at any moment!"

"Exactly, so I need you all to drop what you're doing and help me find some maracas!"

"We've got MUCH bigger problems than finding some dumb instrument, Pinkie!" Silver yelled from the left side of the sphere.

Pinkie gasped. "You're RIGHT! Getting a tuba HAS to be your number one goal! Follow me!"

"Pinkie Pie, you are so random." RD flew down and told her.

"And you are all so stubborn!" Pinkie ran away from the other direction. Yesterday she was looking for a trombone and now she was looking for maracas and a tuba? What the heck was she trying to do?

"Forget her, everyone. Focus!" Applejack said. "Head 'em up and move 'em out!"

We finally reached the edge of the Everfree Forest. A few seconds of herding later, we let the sphere roll far into the forest. It was finally over!

"Alright!" RD slapped hooves with Fluttershy.

"Ouch…" she responded.

"We did it! Nice work, Applejack." Twilight told her happily.

"Couldn't have done it without y'all." said Applejack humbly. "Well, _almost_ all of ya'."

"What's up with Pinkie? Why is she looking for maracas and a tuba?" Fluttershy asked.

"She might be onto something." I said. "Yesterday she was looking for a trombone."

"Earlier she was looking for a banjo." Rarity said.

"She said something about an accordion yesterday as well." Rainbow added.

"I let her borrow my harmonica. I thought she's gonna play with it to keep herself busy or somethin'." Applejack explained.

Pinkie Pie hunting down instruments felt like it was connected with the Parasprites. Then again, she began with this thing when Fluttershy arrived with the bugs. There was no doubt.

"Don't you think it's a good idea if we listen to Pinkie Pie right now?" I brought up. "I know this sounds ridiculous, but I feel like she knows what she's doing."

"How in the hay can she get rid of these critters with instruments? It makes no lick of sense!" Twilight deducted. The others also agreed as they nodded.

"But, you never know, Twilight." I countered. "The Parasprites might come back and we've done everything we can."

"They're already deep within the Everfree Forest, Speedy. I'm pretty sure they won't be coming back." she groaned. "We've already wasted enough time here. Let's go back and clean the mess before the Princess arrives."

I sighed as we continued to walk back to Fluttershy's.

"Okay, everyone knows what to do, right?" We gotta work EXTRA hard to make up for lost time." Twilight announced. I already lost most of my energy so I kept quiet.

Fluttershy bit the door handle and when she opened it, another army of Parasprites bursts out of her house.

Great…

"Where did THEY come from?!" Twilight cried.

"Um, I may have kept just one… Heh…" Fluttershy told us.

I was sure we all glared at her in irritation.

"I couldn't help myself. They're just so cute."

"Looks like we're all back to square one." Silver said grimly after face-hoofing.

"We just can't keep rounding up these things! What do we do now?" Twilight said.

"We call in the weather patrol!" Rainbow Dash appeared with goggles. She flew up, did a war cry before going down in a high speed that surprised the Parasprites.

Wait a second. I know this formation.

"Are you gonna do what I THINK you're gonna do?!" I demanded as RD gained more speed.

"You bet I will!" she responded, circling around us.

"What IS she trying to do?" Silver asked.

"She's gonna make a mini tornado!" I screamed. "Everybody take cover!"

Rainbow Dash continued to fly in circles until she finally made a tiny whirlwind. It sucked all the Parasprites in the area, those who tried to escape failing to do so as RD controlled the wind. It became powerful enough to even bring us along.

"Can you lower the power of that thing? That'll be nice!" I bellowed, holding tightly on a fence.

She was able to collect all the bugs inside the tornado in a short while.

"Way to go, Rainbow Dash!" Twilight congratulated.

"Looks like our problems are solved!" Oh come on, Applejack. Don't jinx it.

"They will be with these cymbals." There goes that pink pony again, appearing randomly. She was clashing the cymbals together until it got caught in the tornado. "Hey! Give me those back!"

The bronze instruments began causing problems to RD. It came at her like two sharp blades, threatening to cut her in pieces as it goes round and round in the twirling death wind.

"I can't hold it! She's breaking up!" she cried inside the tornado. She was spat out and crashed straight to a tree. We all cried out at the pain of that crash.

The tornado began to disperse, releasing the bugs and shooting them straight to…

I sighed. Ponyville… Of course.

"Pinkie Pie! What have you DONE?" Twilight asked furiously.

"I lost a brand new pair of cymbals, that's what I've done!" she replied.

"Will you just forget about those silly instruments for one second?! You're ruining our efforts to save Ponyville!"

"ME? I'm not the ruiner, I'm the RUINEE. Or is it ruinness? Ruinette?"

"Come on, there's no reasoning with that one." Applejack said. "She's an apple short of a bushel."

Applejack led the girls to Ponyville. Me and Silver stayed back for a while.

"This is THE worst morning I've ever had. None can top this off…" Silver exhaled tiredly.

"Even the day we turned into ponies?" I said.

"… That one is a close second. I'm just super tired."

"Hey! I'm trying to tell you all that the ruinee is on the other _hoof!_ " Pinkie called at the girls. "If you could just slow down and LISTEN TO ME!"

"We're here Pinkie." I said. "Just tell us what you need."

"Wait, why am I with you- OOF!" I elbowed him before he could talk back.

"You… Believe me?" she asked.

"Well, we all tried the best we can and it was always dumpster fire." No offense to the girls. "But we've yet to try out your idea."

"Why do you need the instruments anyway?" Silver wondered.

"You see, I've dealt with these cute-yet-terrifiying critters before. I found out that they like the sound of the instruments!"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah! When I play them, they always get distracted and follow the music wherever it goes. So if I can get every single Parasprite to follow me, I can lead them back to the Everfree Forest!"

"Interesting. That actually sounds like it would work better than the previous attempts." I admit.

"So this plan is like, Pied Piper-ish." Silver compared. Oh yeah, that Pied Piper guy was from that Shrek movie! You know the one who controlled all those ogres with a flute? So awesome!

"Uh-huh! Well, whatever Pied Piper-ish means." She dashed towards the direction of Ponyville. "Come on, fellas!"

Silver and I looked at each other.

"I'll get the tuba?" Silver asked.

"I'll go with the maracas."

* * *

Holy hell do these things eat fast!

The fruits, the vegetables, and even the food served in restaurants and stalls were rampaged by the Parasprites when we arrived in Ponyville!

"These creatures have one hell of an appetite!" Silver screamed.

"Okay, you go find that Tuba! I'll head over that Mexican looking store there to find some maracas!" I said in a hurry. Silver nodded before running towards the other direction.

I heard Pinkie Pie calling me, getting near as she trotted. "Look, Speedy! I found the Tambourines!"

"Oh dang it, I haven't even started looking for maracas!" I exclaimed.

"Maracas? I already got them." She informed.

"Seriously?" I haven't done anything yet. "Then all we need is the tuba, right?"

I suddenly heard a loud echo ringing in the air, followed by purple rings that emerged. I looked around, wondering what that was.

I noticed that the Parasprites stopped eating the crops and food. What the hell happened? One Parasprite in particular just sniffed an apple and ignored it.

…Why do I feel so nervous?

A blood curdling scream was heard near Rarity's boutique. Was that Rarity herself?

"It sounds like Rarity's in trouble! You go on ahead and gather the instruments you need!" Pinkie nodded and left.

I flew quickly towards the boutique. As I was flying, I found it odd that the buildings I passed by were missing roofs. And wasn't there a booth that sells buckets in that street corner?

That's when I realized that Parasprites began eating, well, EVERYTHING NOW!

I landed in front of the boutique finally. I kicked the door open. Parasprites were eating Rarity's dresses and her materials for sewing.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKK~!"

I winced, covering my ears. "Stop it my ears are bleeding!"

"Thank goodness! Save my outfits, Speedy Glee!" Rarity pleaded dramatically, sitting on a stool.

"Uh, shouldn't I get you out here?"

"Don't worry about me, rescue my precious dresses!"

"Are you crazy, woman?!" I cursed internally. "Fine!"

I swooped in and scooped her from the stool, carrying her outside bridal style. I dropped her carefully. "Stay here and I'll deal with them." she nodded obediently.

I went in again, and shut the door down. "Alright, you Parasprites!" I carried the stool that Rarity used. I grabbed a pony mannequin that was lying around and I took a stance. "If you don't stop in five seconds, I'm gonna WRECK you!"

I totally didn't expect them to stop when I said that.

"Oh shit- I mean, that's right!" I composed myself. "I want you all to stop eating my friend's frilly fru-fru dresses, and go back to where you came from. Sound good?"

The Parasprites started to look at me. I felt like I was threatened. Why are they salivating?

Slowly, they all floated towards me. Were they gonna eat me?!

"I said get back! I'm warning ya!" I threw the stool, and it got devoured in a second.

I turned pale. "Eeeyah!" I threw the mannequin as well. It turned into dust.

I gulped as the bugs locked on to me. "Screw this!"

Panicking, I ran to the door. My hooves fumbled about the doorknob. How do I open this, how do I open this!? I didn't have hands!

I had given up. I curled up, closed my eyes and screamed for dear life. So this is how I die? Being eaten by multicolored fuzz balls?

… What the? I'm still alive?

Glancing back at the Parasprites, I was bewildered at what was happening. They were all bouncing in the air, happy for some reason.

The sounds of different kind of instruments jingled outside. Pinkie Pie did it!

Now that my mind was more relaxed, I opened the door and watched the Parasprites follow the sound. They were so distracted that they ignored everything in their path. I found it safe to follow to where they were headed.

From the horizon I saw Pinkie Pie, and I couldn't help but chuckle at the serious face she was making while playing all those instruments. It was a hilarious sight.

Twilight and the others were watching Pinkie Pie and her show. They all looked dumbfounded.

"Look!" Twilight pointed at the sky. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have noticed Princess Celestia arriving. There at the carriage, Spike was waving at us joyfully, and right behind him was no other than Robert!

We all ran ahead of Pinkie Pie to meet up with them. They bowed when the Princess landed. I still don't know anything about royal formalities so I just followed them.

"Twilight Sparkle, my prized pupil!" the Princess greeted.

"Good morning everypony!" Spike greeted as well.

"So lovely to see you again."

"We're happy to see you too, Princess." Twilight said for us. "Welcome back, Spike. You too, Star Blast."

"Glad to be back." He said with a smile.

"Dude! Long time no see!" I said to him.

The clashing of cymbals interrupted us. Pinkie Pie was still leading the Parasprites to the Everfree Forest. I forgot that we weren't supposed to let the Princess know about this.

By golly this was embarrassing. I'm so glad I'm not Twilight right now.

"So… how's the trip? Did you hit traffic?" she asked, trying to change the subject while Celestia was watching Pinkie.

"Care to update us about what's happening here?" Star Blast asked.

I laughed nervously. "Long story, dude."

One of the Parasprites landed on Princess Celestia's left wing. She giggled at it. "These creatures are adorable!"

"What are they?" The Parasprite then flew in front of Blast.

"A demon's spawn…" I mumbled.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing!"

He rolled his eyes as the bug got back to the line, jumping up and down with the music. "Whatever they are, they sure look cute."

"Not THAT cute." Rainbow muttered. Tell me about it.

"I'm deeply honored that you and the good citizens of Ponyville have organized a parade in honor of my visit." The Princess said. Woah, woah, woah. Was this an escape plan I'm hearing?

"A parade?" Twilight asked in confusion.

Before the momentum was gone, I took her place. "We're so glad that you appreciated it, your Highness. It was a lot of hard work training those Parasprites."

"Speedy, what are you-" I quickly shushed her.

"Just go with it…" I whispered.

"I mean- Yeah! The parade!"

"Unfortunately, that visit is going to have to wait for another time." The Princess apologized. "I'm afraid an emergency has come up in Fillydelphia. Apparently, there has been some sort of _infestation._ "

"A-An infestation?" Twilight said shakily. Don't tell me that was our fault?

"Yes. A swarm of _incredibly_ bothersome creatures has invaded the poor town."

… Why did it sound like the Princess was referring our problem here?

"I just dropped by and decided to bring the two of them home myself. I'm sorry I caused you so much trouble, Twilight." she apologized.

"Trouble? What trouble? There's no trouble at all!" Twilight said and smiled innocently.

"Now, would you care to give me your latest report on the magic of friendship in person?"

"My report?" Uh-oh, she was so busy with this entire shindig I doubt she learned anything.

"Haven't you learned anything about friendship?"

Twilight looked at Pinkie Pie. The dedication she had with finding and playing the instruments to stop the pests was awesome, also inspiring in some way even when no one listened to her. I think Twilight found what she was looking for.

"Actually, I have. I learned that sometimes, the solution to your problems can come where you least expect it. It's a good idea to stop and listen to your friend's opinions and perspectives. Even when they don't always seem to make sense." She finished.

Princess Celestia smiled. "I'm so proud of you, Twilight Sparkle, and I'm very impressed with your friends as well. It sounds like you're all learning so much from each other."

"Ain't that the truth." I said, making the Princess chuckle. Did I just make a powerful being laugh? I'm on a whole new level!

"Thank you, Princess." Twilight said to her mentor brightly.

Princess Celestia took her place in the carriage. "I'm glad that you enjoyed your stay in Canterlot, Star Blast."

"It was a wonderful experience and I had an amazing time, Princess. I wouldn't have survived if Spike wasn't around, honestly." Blast said.

"Yeah! I'm not just gonna let you wonder around all on your own. Remember what I told you about _some_ of the ponies there?" Spike said.

"I remember, and I know a snob when I see one, kid."

"Just saying." Spike shrugged.

"Before I go, shall I tell them the big news or should you?" Celestia asked Rob. What news? Was it about our transportation?!

"Well, they'll find out anyway, and there's an infestation problem in Fillydelphia that you need to tend to, right?"

"Perhaps I do." She then ordered the Pegasus stallion guards to ready themselves for takeoff. "I'm looking forward to your improvement and success in the following months. Farewell, little ponies!"

Her carriage finally flew away to the distance. Star Blast and Spike walked towards us.

"You all looked worn out for some reason." No kidding, man.

"What in the hay happened here?" Spike asked.

"Oh, Parasprite infestation. Nothing fancy." I shrugged. "And what's this BIG news the Princess was talking about?"

"Yeah, what is it? Normally, the Princess would tell me about these things." Twilight said. The others also joined in and pestered him about the news.

"Now isn't exactly the best time to tell you all about that, at least. Why don't we meet up with Pinkie Pie over there?" Blast suggested.

We walked up to Pinkie, who was just leading the final line of the Parasprites into the Everfree Forest.

"Hey, what happened to the Princess?" she asked, halting with the instruments.

"Emergency in Fillydelphia." Twilight told her.

"Something about an infestation." Rainbow added.

"Oh no! Have they got the Parasprites too?"

"Sounds like it, yeah." I said.

"Well, have tuba, will travel!" she declared, blowing said instrument.

"Don't worry, Pinkie. I believe the Princess can handle it." Star Blast said.

"Oh! Hey Star Blast! You didn't tell me that you and Spike were coming home today."

"We were very busy with our personal activities so I apologize."

"Dude, do you even text? Or in this case, letter?" I teased him. He just looked at me amusingly.

"So you knew what to do with those critters all along, huh Pinkie Pie?" Applejack stated.

"Well, duh? Why didn't you think I was so frantic to find all this instruments? I tried to tell you, but only Speedy and Silver helped me out." I hadn't even got to give her any instruments but it felt nice being mentioned.

Now that I realized, where the hell was Hassan?

"We're very sorry that we didn't listen, Pinkie Pie." Twilight said. The others also apologized, while I'm still wondering where the heck that gray pony could be. "You're a great friend, even if we don't understand you."

The pink pony grinned. "Thanks guys, you're all great friends too even when I don't understand me."

"You saved my reputation with Princess Celestia, and more importantly, you saved Ponyville!"

I whistled. I don't know about that.

* * *

"…Or not." Twilight said droopily. We all gazed at the remains of… whatever's left from the town.

Cue the sad trumpets. Ah, thank you for playing it, Pinkie Pie.

We just couldn't catch a break today, huh?

* * *

 _Author's Note!_

 _This is weird._

 _It took me a month and a half just to write the first quarter of this chapter, and then it only took me three days to finish the remainder and editing. What the hell is wrong with me?_

 _Anywho, I'm just glad that I finally updated. Oh! and Star Blast finally came back in the story! I wonder what that news could be? Find out in the next one!_

 _Lastly, OH MY GOD! Have you guys seen the movie? I was totally blown away by the animation and the music. Those two things are all I need to like a film, due to the fact that I was raised by watching disney films lol. The plot could've been written a lot better though, but I always remind myself who the real target audience are._

 _You know the drill! Fav it! Follow it! Review and tell me what you think! **LUMINOUS FADING AWAY...**_

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT MY BELOVED OC'S!**


	15. Revelation

**_The Misadventures of Ponified Friends_**

 ** _Chapter 14: Revelation_**

* * *

 **(Blast's POV)**

 **Over a week ago…**

 _My stomach was killing me. This always happens when I get super nervous about something, and that something right here, was about Princess Celestia requesting my presence in her castle way back in Canterlot._

 _It was a big surprise when Spike told me about the letter this morning. It was all too sudden to me, and I kept asking him why and he really didn't know and that he was just going there to clean the scrolls he accidentally sent to the Princess. I figured it would be the best choice to just go and discover why myself._

 _The train ride to Canterlot was quite long, five to six hours I think. Right now, I was contented just by watching the fields and the mountain side that surrounded the kingdom as the train proceeded. Spike was busy with the comic books he brought, so at least he was entertained. I wish I brought a book or two, but he did say that Twilight's old place had a ton so I just had to be patient for a little while._

 _I remembered that the Princess recommended bringing along Lemuel and Hassan with me, but I chose not to. Besides, those two have responsibilities back in Ponyville with that huge rainfall scheduled, so it was up to me to handle this thing. Additionally I didn't want any distractions. Speedy would have had a field day in this place, and Silver, which I am sure, would decline the invitation cause of the possibilities of rich ponies swarming the place._

 _In some manner, I understood him because who doesn't feel ticked off when snobby eyes look at you just because of the way you look and act? Trust me, he experienced way worse than that._

 _I looked back out the window and there it loomed, the town that screamed royalty was getting closer than ever. Anticipation and anxiety mixed, I just couldn't wait for this day to be done._

 _I've only met the Princess once before and that was it. I honestly didn't know what to expect once I meet with her again. In fact, I bet she knows a lot more than us than we do of her based on the letters Twilight often send to her. Why didn't I do a research? She was almost a thousand years old; of course there would be a lot of books and stories about her._

 _I shook the nervousness off. Twilight, no, all the ponies in Equestria look up to her, their leader. Why would I be scared?_

 _I felt the train starting to slow down. It finally arrived at Canterlot's train station. I noticed that it was much cleaner and bigger than the one in Ponyville, which was something I would expect. If this was only the train station, I couldn't imagine how the rest of the city would look like._

 _I exhaled as the train stopped. I got out of the seat and wrapped my saddle bag around me, almost fidgeting._

 _"Don't be so nervous, Star Blast." Spike said to me, also packing his stuff. "I'm sure the Princess would just ask how you and Speedy and Silver are doing."_

 _"I'll be relieved if that's actually the reason." I replied. The other ponies started to exit the train so Spike and I followed. "Also, I've never been invited by royalty. This is the first time."_

 _Once we got out, I was amazed at the sight in front of me. For the first time in my life again, I'm actually stepping foot in a place that only existed in fairy tales. I thought I had seen everything while I was in Ponyville. I was so wrong._

 _"Pretty neat, huh?" Spike probably saw the wonder in my face._

 _"It's definitely something to behold." I admitted. "Where should we go now?"_

 _"Princess Celestia said that she's sending an escort for us. I don't know who though, but let's wait."_

 _For a few short minutes we've waited until the crowd dispersed entirely in the station. I took glances left and right, and some pony caught my eye that was heading my direction._

 _He was pretty tall. His coat was white and his mane had different shades of blue and kind of long. He was wearing a purple and gold armor, where in the middle you could see a shield-shaped emblem with a purple star._

 _I stood up straight. I thought that this stallion could be the escort Spike was talking about._

 _"Would you look at that, It's Shining Armor!" Spike announced._

 _"Hello there, Spike. Long time no see!" The armored stallion greeted. They knew each other then. His eyes then went to me and he released a friendly smile. "So, you must be the pony named Star Blast."_

 _I nodded. "That's right. Uh, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." I really need to lengthen up my vocabulary._

 _"Pleasure's all mine." He responded. "I've been sent by her royal highness to assist you two to the castle. I am Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guards of Canterlot."_

 _"He's also Twilight's big brother." Spike added._

 _I never projected to be guarded by the Captain of all the soldiers here in this kingdom, much less being escorted at all. Now that I found out that this guy is a relative of Twilight's, his brother no less, I guess it was understandable. Still, I think this was totally unnecessary, but if the Princess wanted it then I shouldn't argue._

 _"She never said anything about her having a brother." I said._

 _"I understand that she hasn't mentioned me to anyone. She's a very busy pony with all her studying, and my duty as Captain has kept me very busy as well lately so I sadly don't have a minute to spare to even ask how she was doing."_

 _"I see…"_

 _Shining Armor cleared his throat. "Well then, let us go. We can't keep her Highness waiting for so long."_

 _I nodded obediently as Spike and I followed him through the town. It was true that this place had a lot of rich-looking ponies, and I really don't want to know what their looks meant as we continued to walk towards the castle._

 _I never wanted a lot of attention; unless it was something I knew why I earned that kind of attention. I figured the ponies were just curious as to why Shining Armor was guarding me, a pony who totally looked simpler than they were so I just ignored it._

 _Honestly, I thought Celestia was overdoing it._

 _"I must admit, you look a lot simpler than I thought." Shining said, sparking a conversation along the way. "I was informed about everything that happened back in the ruined Castle of the Two Sisters and the re-emergence of the Elements of Harmony. That night must be frightening."_

 _I looked at him. "Does this mean that you know that we-"_

 _"Signify and hold the very Elements? Yes, we do. And you, you're the holder of one of the newest Elements. Respect, right?"_

 _"Oh… That's right." I thought he knew that we came from another world. The Princess must have kept that as a secret. I felt glad about that._

 _"I didn't even think that was possible at all! The Elements holds the most powerful magic ever known in ponykind, but for three to just appear out of nowhere? You and those two other ponies must be special. No wonder the Princess wanted to see you personally."_

 _I unconsciously chuckled sheepishly. You don't even know how big the scale of how special we are._

 _I noticed that Spike has been awfully quiet while we were strolling. I turned back and he was reading one of his comic books. I sighed as I closed the comics with my magic, Spike cried in dispute._

 _"Hey! I was reading that!"_

 _"You shouldn't read while you're walking, Spike. That's bad, and you or someone might get hurt." I told him._

 _He pouted. "Fine, fine…"_

 _I folded the comics neatly and inserted it inside my saddle bag. It was a good thing Shining Armor stopped conversing with me after that moment with Spike. I had to recharge my so-called socializing meter. I definitely need to save more for someone like the Princess later on._

* * *

 _Now I really couldn't help but make my eyes wonder around._

 _Shining Armor chuckled. "Yeah, it's magnificent, isn't it? Just wait till you see the Princess' throne room."_

 _I shifted my gaze to anywhere I found fascinating. Well, all of it actually. I turned around and around, completely doing 360's admiring this grand hall of the castle like a child inside a museum. Everything was all classy and regal, just what I would expect what a castle would look like albeit the cartoonish details. I had almost forgotten why I was here in the first place._

 _"Let me guess. You've never been inside a castle before?" Spike asked._

 _I shook my head. "From where I'm from, my country's not big on castles."_

 _We walked for a few more minutes until we arrived in front of a huge pair of ivory doors. It was apparent what room was inside._

 _Soldiers saluting to their Captain, Shining Armor held them at ease as he entered the doorway, leaving me with Spike and the guards on each side._

 _My heart began to race once again. Whatever happens inside this room and my eventual talk with Celestia could become a huge blow on our fate. There were worse possible outcomes that ran past my mind, but I doubted that she would banish us… for now at least._

 _She probably realized that we were potential threats to their kingdom, but no, it couldn't be. If that was the case, she should've had dealt with us months ago. Hell, she invited us to the Grand Galloping Gala so wasn't that enough evidence to think that she sees us as allies? Not to mention our role in the Elements of Harmony. Also, she said something about a prophecy, a prophecy that I couldn't find in any book I've read._

 _While I'm here, I need to take advantage and ask her some questions about that._

 _"Uh… Blast? You're staring into space again."_

 _I blinked at Spike's sudden statement, releasing me from my thoughts._

 _"Jeez, I swear you're way worse than Twilight when it comes to that stuff, and that is saying something."_

 _"I'm sorry… I'm just," I sighed nervously. "You can probably tell why…"_

 _"Don't get so paranoid. I swear you'll be fine."_

 _The doors began opening without so much of a note. I straightened up my form and I inhaled. Here goes nothing…_

 _It was true what Shining Armor said earlier. The throne room was just… I couldn't describe it in words. The whole space was huge, could be as big as or maybe even bigger than the grand hall. Gigantic stained glass patterns were decorated on each side of the room, depicting historical events I presume. A path was put in front across the marble floor, a red carpet meters in length that leads to the golden throne, where a smiling Princess sat, waiting for us to meet and greet._

 _I swallowed the lump in my throat as I finally managed to advance forward. Those who observed the two of us walk was Shining Armor and his men alongside Celestia._

 _"Well, if it isn't Spike and my very special guest for today." Princess Celestia announced as we walked halfway through the throne room, within a respectable hearing distance. She really didn't need to put emphasis on the word special though…_

 _Spike and I bowed, although mine was a bit more awkward. I'd never bowed to anyone before._

 _"How was the train ride from Ponyville?"_

 _"Oh, everything's okay all the way, Princess Celestia." Spike answered._

 _"I'm glad, because I was beginning to think you weren't coming." She did a hearty laugh. "I hope that you have not experienced anything too appalling in your trip, Star Blast." She said to me._

 _Okay, so far she looks concerned for my well being, so I guess that was a good sign. "Don't worry, Princess. I've experienced way worse transportation back home."_

 _She began to descend down her throne, which restarted the nervousness inside me. I kept myself in silence._

 _"There is no need to be nervous around my presence, Star Blast." She said to me._

 _"If you say so, your majesty…" I replied meekly._

 _"Please, just call me Celestia." She insisted, which I responded by nodding respectfully._

 _"Shining Armor, thank you for executing my request to accompany Spike and Star Blast to the castle. You may now resume your duties for the day."_

 _Shining Armor bowed before her. "It was an honor, your Highness." He began to head down the doors of the throne room after giving me an affable nod, which I returned back._

 _As the doors closed softly behind us, Princess Celestia spoke, "Now, let us continue where we left off. Spike, you may now go to the scroll room and clean the mess. I'm sure you can handle it by yourself?"_

 _"I can do it with my eyes closed, Princess Celestia!" Spike answered confidently. "Oh, and uh, sorry about that."_

 _"No worries, off you go now little one."_

 _Spike bowed before he turned back around. Good luck, Blast. He whispered before he left me all on my own with the Princess._

 _"Now then, you must be wondering why I wanted to talk to you." She said._

 _"Honestly, that's all I can think of all the way here. But… why personally? It'd be totally fine if it's just letters and stuff."_

 _"To hear how you and your two friends are doing, of course." Princess Celestia called a servant from the back. "Is everything all prepared?"_

 _"Yes, your highness."The servant said._

 _"Splendid. Why don't we continue our discussion over some tea?"_

 _A cup of tea sounded nice._

* * *

 _I politely took the teacup offered to me by Celestia, enveloping it with the green hue of my magic. Deceptively not as sweet as it smells, the taste was delicate enough for me, with weighty notes of vanilla, and the tangency isn't too sharp so I could savor each mouthful without wincing._

 _"You know, Twilight has told me a lot of interesting things about you and your friends."_

 _I raised a brow, setting down my teacup on the round table. "Like what, Celestia?"_

 _"Well, for one, some of the words you speak were completely foreign to her, even though we use the same language." Celestia grabbed a biscuit and dipped it in her tea. "Secondly, I have to say that I was surprised that magic is nothing but fiction in your universe."_

 _"It's still debatable. I think."_

 _"All right, why don't we focus on the matter of the conversation? First of all, how are you and, Speedy Glee and Silver Spur was it?"_

 _I sighed. "We're doing great so far in our new lives, I guess? It was hard adjusting to our new forms and everything in our first few weeks in your world, though."_

 _"I see, but it is great to hear that you've managed to do so. Your friends have jobs now, haven't they?"_

 _I nodded. "Yeah, Silver really likes working in Sweet Apple Acres. Speedy just joined the weather patrol when he found out that Pegasi control the weather here in Equestria. He thinks he's a comic book character or something like that. While I just stay at the library and join Twilight in her studies, reading a book or two."_

 _Princess Celestia chuckled. "You all sound so fun to be acquainted with."_

 _Well… not all the time to be frank. "Indeed, but it's mostly Speedy and Silver. They sure made my life more meaningful back home. Back then, I never cared about anyone to begin with until they came along."_

 _"So I've heard. You are very much alike my faithful student, Twilight." Wow, even the Princess thinks so. "Speaking of, are you getting along with her and her friends in Ponyville?"_

 _"We've been pretty good friends with them. We wouldn't have made it this far without their help, actually. After what happened that morning against Nightmare Moon, the Elements of Harmony, and a few short adventures along the way, we only got closer to them than ever."_

 _Celestia calmly listened to my explanations, her head tilted attentively. She closed her eyes for a moment. "There is much more to you than what Twilight has described in her letters. I am glad that there are ponies like you who are friends with my student."_

 _I smiled. "I can say the same thing."_

 _Time passed on, and I'm confessing right now, it was better than what I thought it'd turn out to be. Still, there was one thing left that I needed to ask her._

 _"Princess Celestia?"_

 _"Yes, Star Blast?"_

 _I breathed in nervously. "Do you remember what you said back in the old castle? The prophecy about three beings from another world? About us? Not to question your knowledge but… how did you know when there wasn't a single record from any history books I've read and researched? Even Twilight helped me with the older and complicated ones."_

 _Celestia frowned, and then she sighed. "So, you've finally decided to question me about it. Very well, it can't be helped."_

 _I braced myself, tensing. She was finally going to answer it. Celestia rose up from her seat and walked towards the balcony of the room, staring at the sun setting beyond the horizon. She looked so calm, composed, yet why do I feel that there was something she was hiding?_

 _"I… found out about your arrival in Equestria through a dream, Star Blast."_

 _I got out of the chair and looked at her. "A dream…?"_

 _"I'm sorry that I have told a lie, but there was… someone in that dream that told me to do so."_

 _"Someone told you to tell us it was a prophecy from ancient times?"_

 _Celestia nodded. "I still remember it clearly. From his appearance alone, displayed power far beyond even from what I can ever reach. For the first time in millennia, I was intimidated. He advised me tell you that lie until the time was right._ _He told me things that brought me to a state of shock, stating that he sensed great darkness in the barrier of your universe to finish the three of you off, but he managed to bring you here on time."_

 _"FINISH us OFF?" I asked, surprised and dumbfounded. This time I was sitting beside her in the balcony._

 _"To make matters worse, the darkness attempts to follow you and would soon come to this universe as well. While I was getting warned, the being sounded hurt, tired, like he had just came from a terrible battle. I concluded that he was trying to prevent the darkness from coming here."_

 _I listened with widened eyes. This information hit me like a ton of bricks landing on my head._

 _"Before he disappeared, he told me one last thing. An important message for you three." Celestia continued._

 _I gave a look of question._

 **"Be confident in what you believe, be valiant through the dangers that storms your way, and be kind and do good to those you think worthy of respect, and once you matured into the individuals I expect you to be, I will talk to you myself."**

 _My mind was shrouded. What could that powerful being possibly hope to gain by bringing us here? Something evil was after our heads as well, so shouldn't I be anxious about this entire thing that just occurred?_

 _"Before we were sucked into the portal to Equestria, our world was shrouded in pitch black darkness and a world-ending storm. So… the reason behind all that was because someone wanted us dead? This doesn't make any sense. And why would it even target us? We're just three, normal teenagers… with normal, teenage lives a few months ago. What's so special about us?" I trailed, my voice emanating desperation._

 _I felt Princess Celestia's hooves on my chin as she rose it up. I probably went staring blankly for a moment again, like I always do when I over think._

 _"I may not be the one who brought the three of you here, but I doubt that it was all for nothing. I sensed the purity in your hearts the moment I faced you when you battled my sister's evil self with your friends."_

 _"I… we thought that was the right thing to do…"_

 _"See? Yet you chose to. If it were other ponies they wouldn't have done the same thing, and Nightmare Moon would've succeeded with her evil ways. When the three of you brought the new Elements of Harmony to life out of either will-power, belief, or even luck and coincidence, there is no doubt in my mind that you are all capable of far greater feats in the future."_

 _After all that had been said and done, she gave me a comforting, heart-warming smile. I'd thought about the encouraging words Princess Celestia gave me. It all sounded absurd, but I didn't have to convince myself that everything I heard was all true._

 _I huffed. "Well, at least I know that we're not gonna go home anytime soon."_

 _"I am truly sorry, Star Blast. This must be very disappointing to you."_

 _"No no! I'm not!" I yelled in disagreement. "I mean, this is what I hoped for in this visit. Answers. Big and unbelievable ones at that. This is much more than anything I came up with for a few months."_

 _"I see, but I deeply regret that I have never told you sooner."_

 _"Hey, I said that we'd hang low the last time we'd met, right? And the being in the dream wanted that." I ran a hoof through my mane. "Though I never thought you'd lie, considering how you always act so pure."_

 _She smiled apologetically. "My apologies. For now, why don't you head out for dinner? I believe Spike's already in a feast. I'll order one of my guards to lead you to the dining hall."_

 _"What about you?" I asked._

 _"I will turn in later. I have still yet to attend some of my royal duties."_

 _"Oh."_

 _"But before we go our separate ways, are there still things you want to ask or request? I'm all ears."_

 _"I appreciate it, Princess. Thank you." Huh, now that I think about it. "Actually, there IS one thing…"_

* * *

 **(Present Time)**

Okay, the condition of the town was something I totally did not expect to see.

After all the time I'd spent in Canterlot, I thought I would just take a rest once I got back from the trip. Then these shenanigans with the Parasprites happened. I swear, ever since we arrived in this place the town would always get endangered by something or someone. I could almost say that it was our responsibility.

Speedy told me everything that happened while I was gone, including the time I left that very day. I could care less about his sleep-over with Twilight, Applejack, and Rarity. Bless their souls for putting their differences behind and save the library from flooding, at least that was what I was told.

Of course, the situation with the zebra was the one that got my attention the most. If I remember correctly, this Zecora visits Ponyville for shopping purposes while the citizens were scared of her for some reason. Speedy didn't exactly know what happened after the others confronted her, but they took a huge surprise the next day cause of plants called Poison Jokes. In the end, it was Applebloom who convinced the mares that Zecora was just helping them heal their _weird appearances_ , he quoted. He also said that Silver was the one mostly involved in this so I could just ask him about it.

As we all went our separate ways to tend to the damages of the town, Speedy, Twilight, Spike and I headed home to the library. I expect a mess.

I opened the door, which humorously, fell down. Yeah, not the kind of welcoming I expected at all.

Man, these poor books though…

"The Parasprites even ate the ink? How did that even happen?"

Speedy shushed me. "Don't question the logic of this world."

"I don't know…" Twilight looked away from me.

"Sweet Celestia, don't tell me we need to clean all this." Spike complained.

I sighed. Years worth of knowledge, gone because of some insects that looked cute in appearance.

"ROB! YOU'RE BACK!"

"Good to see you too, Si-" My jaw slacked open when I saw Silver's condition. His eyes were veiny and red, his hair disheveled even with his braids, and his body was covered with bite marks!

"Oh my gosh! Silver Spur, what happened to you?!" Twilight cried out.

He laughed dismissively, and a little bit maniacal. "Pfft~! This is nothing!" He rushed up in front of me. "Anyway, you brought souvenirs, right?! While you're at it, did you bring bandages, sleeping pills and pain killers there as well?!"

"Bro, you completely lost it now." Speedy said.

"Umm… why don't we all go upstairs and rest for the meantime? You all look worn out, too."

"Not until you tell us what the news is!" Speedy demanded.

"Please tell us, please tell us!" Even Twilight was begging. Anything that concerned Celestia, huh?

Spike and I turned to each other. I told him already about it.

Silver kind of calmed down a bit now to the point of thinking straight, so I guess it was alright to tell them now.

"All right. Would you guys like to know why I stayed in Canterlot for a week?"

Speedy raised his hoof suddenly. "Ooh! Ooh!"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Lem?"

"Is it about our transportation?"

I hesitated. "Yeah, but we'll get to that later. Anyway-"

"WHAT?!" the three of them exclaimed. I winced at the outburst.

"Is this fo-for real this time?" Silver asked weakly.

"Yeah, but don't freak out when I tell you guys later about what I found out."

"Wait, but what about me? Tell me everything and don't leave any details." Twilight said.

I shook my head. "This doesn't concern you. At the least, not yet so I'd like to keep the info between the three of us."

Twilight moaned. "If you say so, but how'd you managed to find information about the prophecy?"

"I'll just say that the Princess helped me out. A LOT." I cleared my throat. "And I have another news, and I'm sure you'll love to hear this."

Their ears perked up.

"Now, the reason why Spike and I overstayed at Canterlot is because I took care of a bunch of paperwork for a scholarship."

"Scholarship? For what?" Speedy asked in confusion. "We don't exactly go to school here."

"Wait for it…" Spike said, creating an atmosphere of anticipation.

"Well, that's where I'm leading to," I said. "With Princess Celestia's blessing, she and I agreed that I will study under her as a pupil from here on out."

* * *

 _Author's Note!_

 _A bit of a filler here, and it's been a while since I uploaded two chapters in a month._

 _Now we've got an idea about their transportation to MLP, which we will explore later on in the future (duh) and looky here, Star Blast is now classmates with Twilight!_

 _and uh... that's pretty much it._

 _Please leave a review, yeah? **LUMINOUS FADING AWAY...**_

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT MY BELOVED OC'S!**


	16. *sigh*

_Author's Note!_

 _What's up everypony? Haven't been here much since November._

 _Just wanted to say that life's been taking over my time writing once again. Man, I don't know how many AN's I've written here in a span of 2 years. I'm seriously way behind the other FanFics. But meh._

 _It's certainly frustrating since I have a morning shift in my work then followed by afternoon classes in school._ _Do not worry though. The next chapter is in the works, and expect it to be dropped sometime in mid-February :D_

 _Now for the next issue._

 _Look, I'm not the kind of person to beg for something, but PLEASE leave a review._

 ** _Speedy Glee: Dude, you literally ask your readers to leave a review in every chapter._**

 _Shut up, Speedy! Anyway, any kind will do whether it's positive or negative. It will be appreciated and it will help me out a lot :D_

 ** _Speedy Glee: Whatever dude, can't you just continue working on the next chapter instead of writing this AN that'll probably get deleted anyways? I have a feeling that the next episode will be soooo COOL! Haha, get it? Cause it's winter!?_**

 _Well, I suppose-_

 ** _Silver Spur: Man, you are corny as corn._**

 ** _Speedy Glee: Hey, how'd you get here?_**

 ** _Silver Spur: ... I actually have no idea._**

 ** _Star Blast: Are you talking to someone or to yourself again?_**

 _Uh..._

 ** _Speedy Glee: I wasn't talking to myself, I was talking to the author!_**

 ** _Silver Spur: Right..._**

 ** _Star Blast: We don't have time for this, Lem. It's almost Winter Wrap-Up and we need everyone ready._**

 ** _Speedy Glee: I'm serious! Hey author! Can't you just skip this episode?! Cause I feel like we're gonna sing for some reason!_**

 _Yeah, this has been going on for a while, so... Favorite/Follow this story if you like it! Thank you guys for your time, and I will see you in the next chapter! LUMINOUS FADING AWAY..._

 ** _Speedy Glee: Hey wait! I still have some suggestions for season fo-_**


	17. The Winter Screw-Up

_**The Misadventures of Ponified Friends**_

 _ **Chapter 15: The Winter Screw-Up (Winter Wrap-Up)**_

* * *

 **(Blast's POV)**

Staying up all night, with a steaming, hot cup of coffee and some chips and chocolate by my side, cramming my brains out for the exams till the break of dawn in the same day it was going to be held was one of those moments I missed back on Earth.

Just to make sure that I was more than a hundred percent ready for the test Celestia would be giving me tomorrow, I woke up extra early to re-read the _Book of Basic Equinology_ and _Rules of Pegasi Aerodynamics_. Somewhere around 2 o'clock in the morning, maybe?

For a moment, I contemplated that doing this was a mistake, since today was Winter Wrap-Up. It's a tradition here in Ponyville where the citizens themselves thaw out the winter season because spring will occur exactly the day after. Like most things, this would be our first time participating to such an event, and I couldn't imagine the hard work we all must do. Thank goodness for our unique pony abilities.

Huh… it's been 8 months since my visit in the royal palace. No monsters, no natural disasters, to put it shortly there were no mishaps and trouble since the Parasprite incident.

It took me a long while to get over the fact that some evil force wants us dead, even going far as to completely lay waste on Earth and made it uninhabitable for the three of us. When the time finally came for me to tell Lemuel and Hassan about it, I already got the feeling that I would hear and see different feedbacks.

Ugh, where do I even begin?

The first reaction I received was a long sullen silence, their faces staring back at me as their minds tried to process the things that I told them. Then, from out of nowhere, Lemuel began cheering that it was so _cool_ and _awesome_. He rambled on and on about like we were some sort of super heroes, where I believe he said "Chosen Ones" or something along those lines when I mentioned the 'Being' brought us here in this world. Look, I'm no comic book hero fanatic like Lemuel is, but I'm not going to let that possibility pass no matter how ridiculous that sounded.

On the other hand, Hassan continued to stare blankly into the wall, though this time his eyes had widened. A few seconds later, he passed out. It was a rough day for him that time, where he lacked sleep, got worked up and tired, got bitten all over by Parasprites and then the news about our condition. I couldn't blame him that he can't take it all in a day and I would absolutely pass out in exhaustion myself.

With that, I'm so glad that I got one good thing going for me.

The perk of having a scholarship from the Princess was that I don't have to rely on Lemuel and Hassan financially anymore somehow. The money was big enough to rent a place of our own and still have something left over for the next couple of weeks. I am not a big spender, so I decided to open up a bank account and deposit half of my allowances.

I've got to tell you, paper work was insanely easy. With the help of Celestia, of course

Additionally, I gained access to tons of more books; maybe even triple the amount of what we had in Golden Oak. Sure, I had to get it all the way from Canterlot, but I could always hire someone to deliver it for me.

Overall, it was a fantastic opportunity for me to reach the goal that was the only reason why I wanted to study under Celestia, but I'll save that part for later.

There was a sound of knocking in the front door. It opened and there enters Twilight, a smile on her face.

"Hey, Twilight," I greeted her. "Is the mayor done with her speech?"

"Yup! They're assigning every pony to teams for the time being." She said. "Better hurry if you don't want to be left out."

As Twilight left the library once again I exhaled, clearing the table full of books as I levitated them to their shelves.

Today could be very tiring, at least for us Unicorns. For reasons, we aren't permitted to use magic to help with the cleaning of winter. Prayers up for my weak body.

Silver had already gone out with Twilight earlier to listen to Mayor Mare's speech, and he probably already has a team at this moment. All that's left is to wake Speedy up, who decided to sleep in at such an important occasion.

"Lemuel!" I called. "Come down here already. We're going to be late!"

"Nooo~!" He yelled back, drowsiness in his voice. "Why do we have to clean up all the snow?"

"Because that's the way it should be here in Ponyville!" I sighed. "Seriously, don't you play a crucial role in this since you're a weather pony?"

I heard the door slam shut upstairs. Speedy descended down, floating with bad bed hair and eye bags.

"I really hate the weather here…" He complained. He wasn't the only one.

After some necessities checked up for later, Speedy and I left the library and we walked towards Town Hall where all the ponies piled up. They were divided into three groups: The first batch wore Blue colored vests, marked for the Weather Team. The second group, the Plant Team, wore green. Lastly, the group of the Animal team wore tan colored vests.

I could see Silver from where we were wearing a green vest as expected. Speedy had already split up with me to join the Weather team.

When I arrived, it looks like I wasn't the only one who didn't have a team yet.

"Having trouble?" I asked.

Twilight turned around. "I didn't know it would be this hard. Where should I go? I'm not sure where I'd fit in."

I sighed out of sympathy. "Welcome to the club. You know, why don't we check them out and see what they do. Maybe that'll give us time to decide."

"What exactly does every pony do?" she wondered.

Before I had the chance to speak, the surroundings began to fade into black. Along the background, I could hear a faint instrument, and a spotlight shined down on Rainbow Dash meters away from us.

Wait… Don't tell me-

" _Three months of winter coolness, and awesome holidays…"_

" _We kept our hoovsies warm at home, time off from work to play."_

" _But the food we stored is running out, and we can't grow in this cold."_

" _And even though I love my boots this fashion's getting old…"_

Song time.

Twilight began trotting away as the field began to light up. I followed her, and I had the feeling it was her turn to sing.

Wait a minute, what are these words coming in my thoughts?

" _The time has come to welcome spring and all things warm and green."_

If I wasn't caught up in this musical number, I imagined myself shocked at what just happened. Did I just _sing_?

 _"It's also time to say goodbye, cause winter we must clean."_

 _This is so weird_ I said in my thoughts. And why couldn't I stop?

" _How can we help? We're new you see. What does everypony do?_

 _How do we fit in without our magic? I haven't got a clue!"_

Twilight was singing naturally. The ponies around us began to sing in harmony as well, starring Rarity, Fluttershy and a brown Earth Pony that goes by the name of Doctor Whooves.

" _Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up!_

 _Let's finish our holiday cheer!_

 _Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up!"_

" _Cause tomorrow spring is here-"_ I vocalized, looking around everypony beginning to work.

" _Cause tomorrow spring is here!"_ Twilight finished as we began to wander around and observe.

I've got to get used to this…

" _Bringing home the southern birds, a Pegasus job begins,_

 _And clearing all the gloomy skies to let the sunshine in."_

" _We move the clouds and we melt the white snow,_

 _When the sun comes up, its warmth and beauty will glow!"_

As the skies cleared, the sunlight shined down beneath, now providing warmth. Even making the surroundings sparkle. The ponies continued to sing.

" _Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up~!_

 _Let's finish our holiday cheer!_

 _Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up~!_

' _Cause tomorrow spring is here!_

 _Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up~!_

' _Cause tomorrow spring is here!_

' _Cause tomorrow spring is here!"_

Twilight and I began to head down the forest where Rarity and Fluttershy was leading the Animal Group, waking the critters from their slumber.

" _Little critters hibernate under the snow and ice."_

" _We wake up all the sleepy heads so quietly and nice."_

" _We help them gather up their food, fix their homes below!"_

" _We welcome back the southern birds so that their families can grow~!"_

A flock of birds flew happily around Twilight and I as we watched them settle in their nests. The Animal team continued to treat the critters while the Weather team helped the Plant team to clear snow from tree trunks.

" _Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up~!_

 _Let's finish our holiday cheer!_

 _Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up~!_

' _Cause tomorrow spring is here!_

' _Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up~!_

' _Cause tomorrow spring is here!_

' _Cause tomorrow spring is here!"_

That reminds me.

I pushed Twilight out of the way of the falling heap of snow just in time. I looked up and saw Rainbow Dash smiling apologetically down on us before flying away.

After that, we continued walking to the Plant team in the farming fields where the Apple family and Silver were leading the charge.

" _No easy task to clear the ground, plant our tiny seeds~_

 _With proper care and sunshine, everyone it feeds._

 _Apples, carrots, celery stalks, colorful flowers too._

 _We must work so very hard, there's just so much to do!"_

At least I knew Hassan was having fun, and he had a pretty good voice. Do we automatically get good singing voices in Equestria?

" _Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up~!_

 _Let's finish our holiday cheer!_

 _Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up~!_

' _Cause tomorrow spring is here!_

' _Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up~!_

' _Cause tomorrow spring is here!_

' _Cause tomorrow spring is here!"_

As we passed by Pinkie Pie skating in the frozen lake, cutting the ice in the process, it was time for Twilight and I to make a decision.

" _Now that we know what they all do, we have to find our place_

 _And help with all of our heart, tough tasks ahead we face."_

I placed a hoof on shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile.

" _It'll be fine without our magic. We'll help, the Earth Pony way._

 _We've gotta belong so we must do our best today! Do our best today~!"_

She gave a smile back as the song continued, reaching its end.

" _Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up~!_

 _Let's finish our holiday cheer!_

 _Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up~!_

' _Cause tomorrow spring is here!_

' _Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up~!_

As the three teams surrounded us, Twilight began singing her heart out that took me by surprise.

"' _Cause tomorrow spring is here,_

' _Cause tomorrow spring is here,_

' _Cause tomorrow spring is here~!"_

The background began to fade into black, leaving a spot of light surrounding the two of us. Literally a second had passed, we found ourselves in the place right from the beginning when the song started.

That was exhausting.

"Everypony belongs to a team. Where should we go, Star Blast?" She asked me, completely ignoring my tired state.

A cold breeze blew by as the Weather team huddled in a location close to us. Rainbow Dash was giving instructions to three other mares.

"All right, team. You are cleared for take-off!" Rainbow said to her colleagues before they flew away as instructed.

"Hey, Rainbow Dash!" Twilight called, approaching her. I followed.

"Oh, Twilight and Blast. What's up?" Rainbow asked, observing a flight crew nearby.

"What are you doing?" Twilight asked out of curiosity.

"Sending off one of my flight crews to retrieve the birds that flew south for the winter. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was wondering if maybe we can help. Like, clear out the clouds for you!" Twilight said. She seemed pretty eager.

"Already taken care of!" Speedy flashed by, dashing through clouds as he emptied the skies.

"Oh…" Twilight said in disappointment.

Speedy glided down and landed in front of us. "And uh, we might have a problem in the _flying_ department, if you know what I'm saying?"

"Right…"

"Sorry, Twilight." Rainbow said to her before flying off to duty somewhere in Ponyville.

"Great, now what do we do?" Twilight contemplated.

"I don't know about you, but I'm gonna be nappin'." We heard Spike's voice in a nearby bush. He looked comfortable in it.

"Spike? How long have you been there?" I asked him.

"Not too long ago, I guess."

"You just ditched me just as Mayor Mare started her speech right then and there, you know." Twilight scolded.

"I just did some errands and… stuff…" Spike dozed off suddenly.

"Come on, Spike!" Twilight poked the cheek of the sleeping dragon. "This is serious business! Winter needs to be wrapped up, and we must be determined to do our part. Somehow."

Speedy whistled. "You two got it rough, huh?"

"Yeah, but this isn't uncharted territory for me." I said.

"Well, you guys can always help out the Unicorns in the Animal team. Just ask Rarity." Speedy suggested

"I guess we should." I said. "Let's move forward, Twilight. Besides, weather work isn't really our thing."

"That's a great idea!" Twilight levitated Spike out of the bush before putting him on top of her back. She sped off towards the boutique shouting back, "Let's go, Star Blast!"

"Look who's excited." Speedy chuckled.

"Or _desperate_."

"Yikes. You know dude, it kinda sucks that you guys aren't allowed to use magic. I mean, it woulda been a lot easier if you just zap the mess out of existence."

"Bad luck that Ponyville's founders were Earth Ponies." I sighed. "I better get going now. Good luck with work."

"See ya later, bro." Speedy said goodbye as he flew away.

Wow, Twilight was really fast.

* * *

"Rarity, _please_ tell me there's something- _anything_ we can help you with?" Twilight pleaded. Rarity was building a bird's nest when we arrived at the boutique, and it had got to look like out of the ordinary.

"Well, how would you like to help create Ponyville's finest bird's nests?" She offered.

"Bird's nests?"

"Why yes! When the Weather team guides the birds back north in spring, they need a place to live to lay their eggs."

Wow, even we must build their homes? Judging by the blocks of hay and twigs scattered before us, this could take a while to finish. Rarity intends to finish it alone?

"Wow, Rarity. That one looks beautiful." Twilight complimented, looking at the bow-tied nest.

"Thank you most sincerely." She said. "Would you like to try a hoof at the nests?"

"Would I!" Twilight answered energetically.

"So, where do we begin?" I asked. I'd never done this, if you couldn't tell.

Rarity brought some materials for us to use in the table. Straws, hay, some twigs and a few ribbons of different colors. Just thought that the ribbons weren't necessary, though. Maybe they keep it secure?

"Okay now, uh… Take some of the straw and hay over there and a little bit of branch." Rarity began instructing. We kept working as she continued to talk. Gotta say, this was fun.

I'm doing pretty well, but Twilight, on the other hand…

"Now weave them through there- yes! Uh, take a ribbon- oh no, not there! Oh… yes, uh, tuck it in over there but be careful not to… I don't know, but I guess that will do? Oh dear…" Rarity said all that through winces.

After one final press, Twilight presented her own bird's nest. "There! It looks just like-"

She compared her work to Rarity's.

"-yours... Oh my."

"That nest needs to be condemned!" Spike said to Rarity.

"Oh, Spike~. It's not so bad! Uh, maybe the birds can use it as a-" I could tell that Rarity's trying to find the right words so that she wouldn't sound so disrespectful.

"An _outhouse_?" Spike said bluntly. Way to go, little reptile.

"Spike, remember what I said about this stuff?" I reminded him.

He sighed. "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all…"

Pleased, I turned to Twilight. "Don't worry. Failure's not common for beginners. We've been through that a lot, haven't we?"

"True, but yours looks better even though you're only half-way done." Twilight said.

"Well… at least you finished yours." She glared at me in my reply. I chuckled awkwardly.

"Yours is just as fine, Twilight. It's just a little rough around the edges." She gestured to Twilight to step aside. "Let's see, I'll just untie this ribbon… Take out the sticks over here… "

But Rarity's not just tweaking the nest; she was nearly disassembling it to make a new one. Twilight's head sunk lower and lower as the white unicorn mumbled through improving her work.

"I think we lost her." Spike whispered.

Twilight started walking, head down in disappointment. Spike and I looked at each other before following her, leaving a work-absorbed Rarity.

* * *

We'd been walking for the next thirty minutes or so, seeing if we could find something worthwhile. We were right next to a frozen pond, where a familiar pink pony was skating circles.

"Hey guys~! Wheeee!" Pinkie Pie greeted from down the lake, doing a graceful spin.

"Wow, Pinkie Pie, you're quite the skater, probably the best skater I've ever seen." Twilight said as we made our way down.

"Finding out that you're good at skating, is there anything you _can't_ do?" I asked. Seriously. I'd seen a lot these past 8 months.

"Aw~, thanks, Twilight and Star Blast. I've been doing since I was an itty-bitty, little-wittle, twinkie-pinkie! It just comes naturally." Pinkie Pie did some impressive skating tricks as she talked. "Which is why they probably designated me as the lake scorer."

"I see. So as you skate, the cuts made by the blades will make the thick ice break apart, causing it to melt faster and work becomes easier." I observed.

"Exactly!"

"Wow, that's pretty clever." Twilight commented. "You sure got a lot of work ahead of you. There are quite a few lakes in Ponyville."

"Uh, tell me about it." Pinkie said. "Hey, you two wanna help out?"

"Would I!" Twilight said in excitement again.

"Come on, put on those skates over there. I bet you'll be naturals, too!"

I instantly stepped back as Twilight fetched her skates. Twilight noticed my sudden discomfort.

"Star Blast? What's wrong?"

"I… think I'm gonna sit this one out." I nervously said. Not a fan of skating in frozen lakes.

"Why? Are you scared?" she asked.

"Something like that…" I admitted.

"Well that's a bummer. You don't want to try even for just a _little_ bit?" Pinkie pushed, but I made it clear.

"It's fine, really."

"Then I guess it's just you Twilight."

"Okay," Twilight rushed over Pinkie, putting on the spare skates. "I'm ready."

As Pinkie Pie continued to work, or should I say dance (?), Twilight struggled to balance herself when she finally got on the ice. She was about to fall over.

"Are you all right?" I asked her.

"Of course-" she wobbled. "But, on second thought-" she slammed face first. I winced.

"What are you talking about? You said you want to be helpful." Spike reminded as Pinkie twirled in the air. "Now get out there!"

Spike shoved Twilight as she reached the center of the lake. Twilight couldn't control her motions as she spun around recklessly in the ice. Spike loved this scene however, I couldn't watch. The ice may break any moment as I bit my lip in nervousness.

"Twilight! Steer! Steer!" Pinkie advised loudly.

Twilight only went faster, barreling towards Pinkie. Pinkie couldn't get out of the way as she and Twilight clashed, getting dragged along.

They were both frantic, and uh…

Holy hell-!

 _OOF!_

My vision blacked out for a moment, and I feel a lot of weight above me. We shook off the snow enveloping us, and I found myself on the bottom of my three friends.

Spike spat the snow in his mouth and rolled down, laughing. "You are a natural, Twilight. A natural _disaster_!"

When will this kid learn?

"Twilight, you did a great job the first time around. I'm sure my first time was just as wobbly and bobbly and crasheriffic as yours." Pinkie cheerfully stated.

"Really?" Twilight asked.

"… No, but did I make you feel better?"

"Yeah… I guess…"

"We should stick to something we can do a lot safer." I said.

"Ooh! I think you'll be super awesome with little critters. I know Fluttershy could use a little help with them." Pinkie recommended.

"Well, I'm pretty good with little animals." Twilight said positively. "Yeah, I'll go help her."

Meanwhile, she started to skate forward.

"Uh, It's that way." Pinkie pointed.

"Woooaaahh~!"

"Um, maybe you should get out of the skates first?" I bellowed. Spike continued to snicker.

That's three down. Hopefully, critter helping would be a lot easier.

* * *

Burrows and warrens appeared before us as we walked towards Fluttershy's group. We heard a bell ring out, and it seems she was talking to a couple of hedgehogs that took shelter under a burrow.

"Aw~, how cute!" Twilight said as we watched the hedgehogs crawl away.

"Aren't they? This is my favorite task of the whole season." Fluttershy said. "When I get to see my little animal friends again."

"I bet it is." I said with a chuckle. "Makes me wonder how hibernation feels like."

"Uh, what's hibernation?" Spike asked.

"It's like, a long sleep." Fluttershy answered before checking another den.

"Long sleep?"

"Yeah, some animals can't survive the extremely cold and tough winters and therefore, they go through this process. Basically, they sleep more and eat less to save their energy." I added while Fluttershy was tending to a porcupine couple.

"I definitely like the idea of hibernation. Except for the eat less food part." Spike said.

"Oh, but just look at all these warrens and dens." said Fluttershy as she looked over the snowy hill. "I'm worried I won't be able to wake up all the animals before spring comes."

"We'll help you out, Fluttershy." Twilight said.

"You will?" We nodded. "Oh, that would be wonderful."

Fluttershy grabbed a bell from her belt and gave it to Spike. "Twilight, why don't you and Spike take care of the dens over there while I'll go get an extra bell for Star Blast."

"I'll come with you. Twilight, are you gonna be all right?" I said skeptically.

" _Pffft_ , Of course! They're just little critters. How hard can waking them up be?"

"… Uh huh, well, take care of yourself and Spike."

Twilight nodded as she left searching for a random den with Spike. Fluttershy and I headed towards a tree where a bag hung from a branch.

"Um… If you don't mind me asking, Star Blast, but, where's your vest?" she asked me out of the blue.

"Oh, yeah, about that… Twilight and I are kind of an in a dilemma." I answered. "We don't really know which group we belong in."

"Oh my… Well, I'm sure that you will feel comfortable in the Animal Team. Most of the Unicorns gets to join here, in fact." Fluttershy said. She reached for the bag, searching for extra bells.

I turned around for a bit to see what Twilight was up to. I saw her poking her head inside a small hole from the other side of the hill.

"Here!" My focus went back to Fluttershy who was now holding two bells in her mouth. I extended my hoof and grabbed one for myself.

"Now, why don't we head over the bunny warrens over there." Fluttershy said and I followed.

"So… How do you do this usually?" I asked, looking inside the warren.

"It's easy. You ring the bell gently and persuade the little critters to wake up."

"Okay…" I cleared my throat as I slowly poked my head inside the warren.

Ringing the bell a few times, I gently said, "Excuse me little critters, didn't mean to intrude but it's wakey-wakey now." I rang the bell again. "Spring is tomorrow where it's warm and sunny again~."

I waited for a few seconds before I heard yawning. A family of rabbits exited their home before hopping away. As I watched, I felt soft nuzzling from my left hoof, finding a baby rabbit.

I chuckled. "Better get a move on, little guy." I spurred him to hurry along, softly pushing him towards his family.

"Wow, Star Blast. You did it perfectly!" Fluttershy

"Well It's all thanks to you, Fluttershy." I said. "I would've probably messed up if you weren't here."

She looked surprised at what I said as she turns her head away, blushing. Still bashful as always, huh?

"Um… Star Blast?" she asked meekly.

"Yeah?"

"Are you… going to the Grand Galloping Gala?"

"Uh… yeah. I mean, the Princess invited us all last year herself, so it'd be pretty rude to not show up." I answered her. "Wait, are you thinking of not coming?"

"Oh I am! I mean… well… I was just wondering…"

My head tilted in confusion. Fluttershy was poking her hoof on the ground, and she looks like she was struggling to ask me something.

"Were you… thinking of-"

I heard a loud scream from the distance that sounded a lot like Twilight. Fluttershy and I exchanged looks before heading over to the sound's origin.

We caught Twilight backing away from the small hole earlier before entering a bigger hole, but she was completely unaware. She ran out, screaming with bats flying out rapidly. Twilight was too busy looking back at the bats that she crashed into a tree. To make things worse, a beehive dropped down on her head and she continued to run around, entering another den.

A pair of skunks exited out.

"Good morning, friends." Fluttershy greeted warmly.

Meanwhile, I feel so bad for Twilight right now.

"Uh… Spike… Can you get me a dozen cans of tomato juice and put them in a huge basin back home?" I said.

"Way ahead of you, Star Blast." Spike pinched his snout in disgust. "Pee-hew! You stink, Twilight!"

" _Really_ , Spike? REALLY?"

* * *

"This Winter Wrap Up stuff is a lot harder than it looks…"

"I don't know. You were doing great out there." I said, trying to cheer her up.

"She will if she can use magic." Spike said nasally, brushing Twilight with his left claw while covering his nose with the other.

Bringing Twilight home was tough. We had to take her out of the stinky cave swarmed with bees and it took us awhile before I casted a temporary force field to protect me from the stings and the stench. Seeing Twilight, she took the full brunt of it.

I was doing well with Fluttershy and the critters, too. If Twilight had never got into this accident I would've stayed, but she needed company right now to make sure she's well.

Which reminds me. Fluttershy was about to ask me something about the Gala happening a few months from now. I should check up on her sometime. I feel like it was important.

"Why don't you guys just use your magic to get it done the _right_ way?" Spike insisted.

"No, Spike. We have to do it the traditional way." Twilight replied, her whole body covered in tomato juice inside the tub we got for her. "Ponyville has never needed magic to wrap up winter."

"But they never had you before either. Think about how quicker you can wrap up winter with magic!"

"Spike, I'm sure that they have a reason why they forbid it in Ponyville." I said. "We just gotta have to find another way to help them out."

"Right! Even if it _kills_ us!"

"We don't have to go that far, you know."

A knock on the door caught our attention. I walked towards it and slightly opened it and peeked to see who it was.

"Um… Hi, Star Blast."

"Oh, Fluttershy. Uh, come in and get yourself warm." I greeted. I opened the door all the way for her.

"Thank you, but, I'm just here to bring Twilight this." She showed a light blue colored tube. "It's cream that helps with bee stings. She should be alright in no time if you rub this in her skin."

"Woah, this is awesome." I grabbed the tube of cream. "This is a lot of help. Thank you."

With that, Fluttershy nodded and started to walk away. I suddenly remembered the thing she was about to ask me earlier. It came to my mind to follow after her and ask her, but she was really busy with work, well, all of us are.

I guess I really had to wait.

* * *

With Twilight stink-free and her face wasn't bloated with bee stings, we continued searching for teams that could use some help. The only area that we still haven't checked was the farmlands that was dominated by the Plant Team.

"Keep pushin' Caramel! That's it, Pumpkin! I know it's hard work but you guys are doing great!" Applejack's voice of encouragement could be heard from a mile. She was the leader of the Plant Team, and maybe she could help us like the others.

"Hey, Applejack. How's everything going?" Twilight greeted.

"Oh, just dandy, Twilight. A little slow start, but peachy all the same." Applejack stated politely. "There's a lot of ground to clear, 'ya hear? We can't even start the plantin' and the waterin' until we get the heap of snow hightailed outta here."

"Well, we'd like to help!" Twilight announced on our behalf. I have doubts about this one, though.

Applejack looked surprised at her declaration. "Well, I-I don't know. Star Blast maybe, but you?"

"Just give me a chance. Please?" Twilight pleaded.

Applejack looked at me and I shrugged.

"She needs this. She's been through a _lot_ today." I whispered to Applejack.

She sighed. "Alright, I never turned down a hard worker, but-"

Twilight was already on her way to the snow plower, cutting off Applejack. She hopped inside the contraption, her face determined that she could do it. She started to push the snowplow, but she couldn't move an inch. She stopped, catching her breath then she started again. She struggled with it one last time before stopping, looking back at us.

Applejack shook her head.

I sighed, and I made my way over to Twilight.

"Are you okay?" I didn't know what to say to her.

"No…" Her face dropped. "This is my last chance, Star Blast. I need to do this." She paused. It looked like an idea came to her suddenly. "Maybe if I can use a come to life spell…"

"Woah, we both know that things haven't gone exactly your way, but you don't need to resort to magic." I said to her. "You said it yourself that you want to do things traditionally."

"I know, but it's the only way I can think of to do this." Twilight said desperately.

"Applejack will get suspicious, you know."

"It's my problem and not yours. Whatever happens, I will take full responsibility."

I sighed. She made up her mind and there was no way I could talk her out of it now.

"Just… Be careful."

I returned next to Applejack and Spike as Twilight readied herself for the spell.

"Well? Why ain't she leavin'?" Applejack questioned.

"Twilight said she was just warming up." I said. I looked back and the snow plow that Twilight was using started to glow purple. Wasn't that a little obvious?

Soon, the snow plow started to move forward. Twilight began to move as well to avoid suspicion of the Earth ponies she moved alongside with.

She wasn't fooling Applejack, though.

"Hmm… She's awful strong for such a little pony." I'm surprised she couldn't see the aura around the snow plow.

I kept my composure. Why did I feel more nervous than Twilight?

"That's my girl! Following my advice!" Spike acknowledged loudly. I shushed him on instinct.

"And what in tarnation does _that_ mean?" Applejack demanded with a glare.

The snow plower began to speed up its pace where even Twilight couldn't keep up as she was getting pushed forward along with it. She couldn't control the cart anymore.

Twilight tried to do everything in her power to stop it, but she couldn't. The cart rushed around the fields uncontrollably, almost running over the colts who worked around the area. Soon, it started to form a snowball, tremendously growing in size as it barreled towards… us…

"Uh, Twilight?" I called. "You mind turning the other way?"

"I can't see you!" she screamed.

I find my legs stuck in the ground. All we could do was yelp as the boulder-sized snowball rolled over and absorbed us.

We rolled round and round while our heads were exposed out on the surface of the snow boulder. Bizarrely, I only felt dizziness and not pain every time my head bumps the ground.

 _Woah-woah-woah-woah!_

"What's goin' on?! What'd you do?! You used magic, didn't you?!" Applejack exclaimed around the snowball as we continued rolling. I felt like hurling right now.

After what it seemed like a minute, we collided to something solid, like a wall, as my eye spun around my head. To make things worse, the ground began to shake as I looked up, a huge torrent of snow making its way down.

I gulped, and closed my eyes, bracing for the icy impact…

* * *

I felt someone pulling me out of the snow.

I gasped for breath as soon as I reached the surface, coughing up and teeth chattering from the cold.

"Oh thank god! Are you alright, Rob?" Silver asked me with a concerned voice.

"I guess…" I was still breathing heavily. "Where's Applejack, Spike and Twilight? Are they safe? Is everyone safe?"

He nodded. "Yeah, man. Spike and AJ are in the Apple family's barn warming up, and Twilight ran away crying."

"What?" I asked. "Where did she go?"

He shrugged, "I have no idea where exactly, but she went back to town. Is it true that she used magic?"

"I told her it was a bad idea, but she just tried to help."

He sighed. "Well, she clearly did more than just the opposite."

He looked back over the fields, filled with the snow brought by the avalanche. I could see the annoyed and frustrated faces of the colts who worked. I sighed sadly.

"She must be devastated…" I said. "I need to find her fast."

"Dude, tell her it's cool, alright?"

"I will."

Then I looked everywhere: The library, the park, Sugar Cube Corner, even the Everfree Forest. When I couldn't rely on my own anymore, I started to ask questions and thankfully some of them said they saw her within Town Hall's vicinity. I should've had done that to begin with.

"Twilight! Where are you?"

I circled around the area, but she was nowhere to be found. She must've left the place before I went here. I groaned in frustration.

I decided to leave, and then I heard crying in a nearby bush. I approached it slowly, and I recognized the weeping voice.

"Hey, Twilight?" I called. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, I'm _fine_ , Star Blast." She said sarcastically.

Well, I tried. "Hmm… Okay, then. See you in the library."

"Wait, wait." She called back. "I'm sorry… I'm just so frustrated. And crabby."

"I see… what's on your mind right now?"

She sniffed, "That I'm a winter _mess-up_."

"That's not true, Twilight."

"Yes, it is." Her voice was muffled. "I can't make a simple bird's nest, I can't skate, I can't even wake animals up properly, and I almost endangered everyone in Sweet Apple Acres because I couldn't control my OWN magic!"

I was speechless at her sudden burst.

"Twilight, that's nothing to be upset about. Well, sure, anything that works for somebody aren't always going to work for someone else. While we're at it, you did all of those for the first time, didn't you?" I reasoned.

"I guess… but, how is that supposed to make me feel any better?"

"Look, what I'm trying to say is that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. That's a saying that is very common back in my world."

"Grass is… greener? What does it mean?" Twilight asked.

"That saying comes from the idea of looking at your neighbor's lawn, and thinking that it's way better than yours," I started to explain. "But when in reality, you're just ignoring the negative stuff about it and downplaying everything positive about your own lawn."

Twilight was silent for a while.

"But, I'm not good at anything at what they do around here." she said. "You saw it yourself."

"Well, there's definitely something you're good at to help with Winter Wrap Up."

"Star Bast!" I turned when Spike shouted my name. He was running towards me. "There you are!"

I watched him catch his breath. Poor guy must have run around town looking for me.

"Where…is Twilight…?" He said through pants.

I pointed my head to the bush.

"Twilight, what are you doing in that bush?" Spike asked in confusion.

"Isn't it obvious, Spike? I'm hiding. I can't face everypony now after what I did." Twilight said.

"Oh, come on, Twilight. Come on out." Spike persuaded. "Sure, you suck at nest-making, ice-skating, animal-waking and snow-clearing, but you're good at lots of things!"

I face-hoofed.

"Wow, thanks for making me feel _so much better_." Twilight replied bitterly.

"That's what I'm here for, sister!" Spike said proudly.

I just stared at him. The nerve of this kid.

"Rainbow Dash, ya'll on the weather team need to melt the rest of the snow here on the ground _and_ the trees, _pronto_." Applejack was ordering the blue Pegasus not too far from us. She didn't look happy.

"Got it!" Rainbow was about to fly until Fluttershy got in her way.

"Wait! My poor little animals' homes will get flooded if the snow melts too fast." Fluttershy informed.

"Got it!" Rainbow turned back.

"I'm telling ya', Rainbow. You gotta melt that snow NOW." Applejack ordered.

"No! You simply must wait!" Fluttershy exclaimed.

"Ok!" Rainbow Dash was clearly confused.

"Go."

"Stop."

"Go!"

"Stop!"

"GO!"

"STOP!"

"Ugh! Make up your minds!" Rainbow cried out at the two.

 _Man, things aren't looking so good…_ I thought to myself

"Oh what in _Equestria_ are you all arguing about?" Mayor Mare arrived, not exactly happy if it wasn't obvious enough. "This sort of silliness is why we're late for spring LAST year, and the year before that, and the year before THAT!"

"Did she say 'late'?" Twilight's head popped out of the bush.

"I was hoping my amazingly inspirational speech would urge everyone to do better than last year, but now it looks like we're going to be later than ever!" Mayor Mare began to rant. "I mean, just look at this catastrophe! The ice scorers made the ice chunks too big to melt! The nest designer's horrendously behind. We need a several hundred, and she's only made ONE!" We could hear Rarity's distant dramatic cry. She was still fixing Twilight's nest? "-and don't get me started at the clouds in the sky, the icicles in the trees…This isn't good… Not good AT ALL!"

Wow, they had been doing terribly for the last three years? To think that Twilight was having trouble, turns out that the ponies in Ponyville were doing worse!

"And it's gonna be all to pieces disastrous if we can't get our seeds all planted." Applejack said in a worry.

"Chillax, Applejack. We're bustin' our chops as fast as we can." Rainbow said.

"No! Not fast. You have to wake the animals _slowly_." Fluttershy instructed softly.

Big Mcintosh and Hassan arrived as well, coming over to Applejack.

"Uh, AJ?" Big Mac started.

"Oh good gravy, Caramel lost the seeds again, didn't he?" she answered in annoyance.

"Eeyup."

"Like, come on! Why are we even working with that guy?!" Silver exclaimed in anger.

Speedy zoomed as he made his entrance. He looked very disheveled.

"Bad news, RD! Derpy flew towards north to get the southern birds!" He yelled.

"Oh, that featherbrain, didn't she learn her lesson last year when she flew west?!"

A flurry of arguments and complaints then surrounded Town Hall while the mayor tried to keep things cool, but she as well was close to giving up.

"Well this is a disaster." Spike commented. "It's almost sundown and spring's gonna be late in Ponyville!"

I sighed. Even I didn't know what to do. "If only they were more organized."

That's when it clicked.

 _Organized._

 _Wait a minute!_

"Twilight, Ponyville could really use your help now." I said to her.

She nodded. "You thinking what I'm thinking, Star Blast?"

I smiled. "Don't worry, I got your back!"

"Spike! Get my checklist and clipboard, STAT!" Twilight ordered, hopping out of the bush.

"Eh- Yes, ma'am!" Spike saluted before dashing away to the library.

"I'll get everybody's attention." I said.

There was no way that I could get their full courtesy just by shouting at them to stop. I then produced a concentrated light from the tip of my horn, before making it shoot into the sky, making a small explosion.

Everybody stopped rambling as they looked up, then to Twilight and I. I gestured her to take over.

"Okay, I know you all want to complete your jobs on time, but arguing is no way to go about it. What you need is organization, and I'm just the pony for the job." She announced, with Spike by her side with his quill and Twilight's clipboard.

The crowd, with no hesitation, followed along Twilight's leadership, and it was all smooth sailing from there.

With my help supervising the three groups, Winter Wrap Up was a huge success.

Rarity finally had the help she needed to finish the hundreds of nests for the birds to put in the trees in Ponyville.

With some brainstorming, Twilight and I thought of a way to make the ice scorers cut the frozen lake more properly, and Pinkie and the Weather team displayed it simply and beautifully well done.

Then at the farming fields, with Applejack's coordination, we made the colts plow the soil and snow side by side while the others planted the seeds as they followed behind.

Returning back to the hills, we made dozens of bells tied to a string placed outside the homes of the animals we had yet to wake up, all connected to the long strand in our hooves. With a pull, all the bells rung in chorus as the animals exited one by one. Even the snakes.

I noticed that Fluttershy and Spike were smiling, watching the scene while Twilight disappeared. I looked up when a small heap of snow landed on my head, and was surprised to see Twilight holding on the branch as if her life depended on it. I looked at her in amusement while she smiled sheepishly.

Fluttershy asked a bird to whistle loudly, signaling the Pegasi waiting over the clouds. A few seconds later, a huge tornado made its way down and flew above Ponyville, taking all the clouds and the snow with it. The sun was finally present, melting the leftover snow and the ice chunks in the lakes.

As the sun settled, we continued working till dusk, and it still wasn't enough. We plowed the fields, planted more seeds, and the Weather Team fetched the southern birds at last to tend to their new homes. The critters joyfully wandered around the park blooming with flowers and crystal clear water streams.

We all looked over our hard work. Ponyville has never looked so good.

"I can't believe it. Spring is here! On time!" Mayor Mare turned to Twilight. "And we have the two of you to thank for it. If it weren't for your organizing skills, we would still be arguing."

"Eeyup!" Big Mac said in an agreeing tone that made everyone laugh heartily.

"It was a team effort." Twilight said.

"All of this wouldn't be possible without everypony's help." I said. They all smiled brightly.

"And since you helped every team, we have official vests for both of you."

Rarity was carrying two vests with her. Both were shaded blue, tan, and green, the official colors of the three teams.

"We give you the title: 'All-Team Organizers'!"

The vests seem to sparkle when Rarity put it on for us. Huh, I kinda like this feeling.

"Oh gosh, I don't even know what to say. Thank you, everypony!" Twilight said in appreciation.

"Yeah, I'm speechless." I said through flattered chuckles. It's not everyday I get to help out and be appreciated by this many people-er, ponies in this case.

"And hereby I declare, that winter is wrapped up on time!" We all cheered as the Mayor announced.

* * *

"Dear Princess Celestia, Winter Wrap-Up was one of the most special things I've ever been a part of here in Ponyville. It helped me to learn that we all have hidden talents, and if we're patient and diligent, we're sure to find them. And as always, with good friendship and teamwork, ponies can accomplish anything." Twilight recited for Spike to write. "How's that? Spike?"

He had fallen asleep in his own rocking chair, with a coat on and right next to the fireplace. It was his fault that he slept on an ice cube when it was melting in the lake. The kid wasn't even aware.

I need to sleep myself, but I had to study one last time for my exam today.

"Oh Spike." Twilight giggled at her reptilian companion.

"Aren't you tired, Twilight? We've been up for more than twenty-four hours." I said, sipping my coffee.

"I should say the same thing to you, and don't worry about the exams. You'll be fine." Twilight said.

"I sure hope so," I groaned, trying to stay awake. "I can't believe I have to take it this evening. I want to sleep…"

Then, I heard a small sparky sound next to me. "A letter?"

"It's from the Princess." Twilight checked.

"Huh…" I opened the letter and read it. Do my eyes deceive me? "My exam is postponed until next week."

"Princess Celestia must've known we haven't had any rest cleaning up winter."

"All I have to say is, thank _god_."

I rested my head down with a blissful exhale as I closed my eyes.

"Star Blast?"

"Yeah?"

"… _Thanks for always being there for me."_

"Hm?" I peeked at her.

"Nothing." She said rashly, drinking on her cup of tea and looking away from me.

I pretended to ignore what she said. I knew what I heard, and I chuckled silently when I noticed the blush on her face. I didn't even care that I was falling asleep on the table. Finally... rest...

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _Winter wrap up, winter wrap up._

… Why is that song still stuck in my head?

 _Cause tomorrow spring is here._

Darn it.

* * *

 _Author's Note!_

 _...I'd just like to say_

 _...from the bottom of my heart..._

 _...I'm sorry :| - **Super Bright Brat** (formerly known as **I Am Luminous** , duh)_

 _Also, the official voices of the main trio! (Tentative)_

 _Star Blast - Adam Young (a.k.a Owl City)_

 _Speedy Glee - Ben Schwartz (specifically his Randy Cunningham persona for Speedy's normal voice, then either Mark Hoppus from Blink 182 or PrinceWhateverer, a brony artist, as his singing voice)_

 _Silver Spur - Donald Glover/Childish Gambino (based on Donald's portrayal of Troy Barnes from Community)_

 _Just sharing, ya'll! Please review! :O_

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT MY OCs!**


	18. You'll Get There

**_The Misadventures of Ponified Friends_**

 ** _Chapter 16: You'll Get There (Call of the Cutie)_**

* * *

 **(Silver's POV)**

To start things off, I was walking my way towards Ponyville's school house for two reasons.

Firstly, Applejack asked me to go fetch Apple Bloom in her school when she forgot to tell her sister to help her out in their stall back in town.

And second, was to find out if Robert's interview with the teacher had gone well. In case you were wondering why he was there, well, it was because he was trying to land an intership spot for his training to become a teacher.

That blew my mind when he told us a month ago. I mean, I could never imagine him, of all people, no offense, to stand in front of a crowd _willingly_. Heck, I never even expected him to want to become a teacher!

I guess we really did change a lot since we arrived here. In more ways than one.

I was near the school as I observed the quaint scenery. The building was surrounded by white picket fences, with healthy and green trees and a playground placed right beside it. A cool breeze passed by, making the red flag in the pole to wave gently. Would've been a nice kindergarten back in the day, if only it wasn't so cute looking.

The school bell rang, signaling the kids to make their way out. I kept an eye out for Apple Bloom, and she was the last filly to exit the door. She looked glum.

"Want some sweets? I got the peppermint sticks!" Twist, a friend of Apple Bloom, offered. "I made them myself."

Apple Bloom shook her head.

"It'll make you smile~!"

"No…"

I made my way to her, curious as to why she was sad. "Hey, Apple Bloom. Why the long face?"

"Oh, hi Silver. It- It's nothin'."

I gave her a look. "Come on, AB. Spill it out."

"Seriously, I don't know why we had to sit through a lecture about getting a cutie mark." A bratty sounding voice began to draw near our way. I turned and saw a purple and gray little pony discussing something. "I mean, waiting for your cutie mark is _so_ last week. You got yours, I just got mine, and we all have them already. I mean, _almost_ all of us have them already."

Wait, was that shot meant for Applebloom and Twist?

"Don't worry, you two. You're still invited for my cute-ceanera this weekend." She told them arrogantly.

"It's going to be amazing." The gray one followed.

"It's a party celebrating me and my fantastic cutie mark. How can it not be?" Man, this kid sounds like she's super rich or something for her to brag about it. And what the heck's a cute-ceanera?

"Bump-Bump, Sugar lump-Rump!" The two little ponies did a dance where they end with hitting their butts. The gray one had like a silver spoon mark while the pink one had a diamond tiara.

"Gimme' a break…" I heard Apple Bloom mutter, her face long.

"See you this weekend, _Blank Flanks!_ " They said before taking their leave. Now that sounded like an insult. And they didn't even acknowledge my presence when they were making fun of the two!

I think I found out why Apple Bloom was upset.

"Don't listen to them, Apple Bloom. I guess I'll see you later. Bye, sir!" Twist bid farewell, waving at us before trotting away.

"So, what are you doing here Silver?"

"Your sister forgot to tell you help out with the stall." I then trailed. "and uh… who are those two?"

"It's the ponies I keep telling you about. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon." she reminded me.

"Man, what did they do to you this time?" I asked, remembering AB's stories about them.

"It's nothing important!" she bellowed.

"Alright, alright." I raised my hooves in submission. "But you better not let them get into your head."

"I try not to," she groaned in exasperation. "It's not fair, it's just not fair!"

"Settle down, Apple Bloom. Why don't we talk about this back home? This is about the cutie mark again, isn't it?"

"Applejack and Granny Smith always say that I'll get it eventually, but I want one right NOW! I can't go to Diamond Tiara's cute-ceanera without my cutie mark. I just can't!" Applebloom declared loudly.

I pushed her along to get moving. "You will, kid. It's nice to wait sometimes and let it happen when you least expect it. Who knows, maybe it's related to apples like your family."

"I guess." She said, finally calming down. "Hey, maybe I'll get it today while I'm helping Applejack with the stall!"

"Uh yeah, sure, but-"

"Why didn't I think of it before? My unique talent must have had something to do with apples!" she suddenly began jumping up and down while she chanted in excitement.

"Hey, hey, slow down, kid. You're going to hurt yourself." I told her.

She threw her saddle bag in the air towards me from out of the blue. I caught it on impulse then I noticed she started heading back to town.

"Bring my bag home, Silver! I'mma gonna get me a cutie mark!" she announced before completely disappearing in my sight. I chuckled at her innocent enthusiasm. Must be nice to still try and find out what your calling is. You could do and try out lots of things.

With Apple Bloom gone, I made my way to the school house to see if Robert was still around. It was confirmed as the door opened, and he and a dark pink pony exited, talking to each other with smiles.

"Thank you so much for the opportunity, Miss Cheerilee." Star Blast said. (I'm never gonna get used to me calling him and Lemuel their pony names.)

"Oh, it's an honor for a student of the Princess to decide to train here in my school house." Miss Cheerilee replied. "Though, it might take a while for your application to be processed."

"It's no trouble at all. I just can't wait to get started, Ma'am."

Miss Cheerilee giggled. "My, what a nice young stallion. You're welcome to visit us here anytime."

"Definitely, Miss Cheerilee." Blast said, a genuine smile with him. They waved at each other before the teacher went back inside. Robert made a sigh.

"Hey, Rob!" I called. "How'd the interview go? Did you get it?"

He nodded. "I did. It might take weeks for the paperwork to get it done, though."

"That's good to hear, man. Congrats!"

"Thanks." he said. "Anyway, what brings you here?"

I then told him the reasons as we walked back to the library.

"Yeah, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are quite a duo." Blast said. "They actually got Apple Bloom in trouble. I saw everything."

"Well, when the time comes that you're finally around, they wouldn't have the chance." I said. "and they kept going on and on about a cute-ceanera and how it's going to be perfect and everything. What the heck's a cute-ceanera, anyway?"

"Ever heard of quinceanera?" Blast asked. I shook my head in response. "It's a Hispanic tradition where they throw a party for a girl when she turns fifteen. Since it's _cute_ ceanera, they're probably throwing a party because Diamond Tiara just got her cutie mark."

"Ah, so that explains why Applebloom is itching to get hers. Once she got out of school she zoomed away to sell apples with AJ."

Star Blast laughed. "Why don't we check how she's doing?"

We went past the busy crowd in the market. The Apples' stall was near Sugarcube Corner, so it was just a few walks away. When we arrived, Apple Bloom was already selling the fruits the best in her ability heartily.

"Get your delicious, nutritious apples here!" Applejack called to the folks.

"Delicious _and_ nutritious! And so many uses!" Apple Bloom balanced a green apple on her nose before eating it. "You can eat 'em! Play with 'em-!" She threw an apple into the air then she hit it with a tennis racket, causing the debris to hit some ponies from afar.

Star Blast and I turned to each other.

"Create fine art in your home with 'em!" This time she bucked an apple in the direction of a Unicorn trying to paint, hitting his art canvas. He glared at Apple Bloom while she kept trying to sell. "You have to be crazy not to get a bushel of your very own-!"

Applejack wisely pulled her back. "Heh… She's so _creative_."

"Looks like you're selling apples… pretty well." Hey, I don't like to hurt the kid's feelings.

"Howdy, Silver! Howdy, Star Blast!" AJ greeted us brightly.

"Hello, Applejack." Robert greeted back.

"Say, I heard yer tryin' to become a teacher in Apple Bloom's school. How'd it go?"

"It's actually just an internship so I can _become_ a teacher, and yeah, it went great. I might start next month."

"That's wonderful!" she packed a dozen of apples then she gestured him to take it. "Here, on the house!"

"Wow, thanks." He appreciated the gift, taking it from Applejack. "Look's like it's apple pie again tonight, Silver."

I chuckled. "I'll take care of it, dude. Wanna try potato-apple pancakes next morning?" I slung the bag full of apples on my back.

"Well, you're the cook."

"Wanna buy Snapdragons with that? It's crunchy!" Apple Bloom told Robert. Still selling apples, huh?

But Blast obliged. "Sure, Apple Bloom. I'll take five." He popped out bits with his magic and gave it to Apple Bloom.

"Thank ya'll kindly!"

"Anytime." Blast said.

"Woohoo! _That's_ how you sell some apples _and_ get a cutie mark!" She proclaimed happily. She walked around in a circle all of a sudden, like a dog chasing its tail.

"So, what does my cutie mark look like? A shopping bag full of apples? A satisfied customer eating an apple?" She stopped once nothing appeared in her flank. "Hmm… maybe I need to increase my sales figures first…"

Apple Bloom noticed a pony checking for fresh apples in the stand. As she approached the mare, me, Applejack, and Star Blast watched her.

The mare noticed Apple Bloom, making her stop from searching. Unexpectedly, the little filly shouted, "You touch it, you buy it! We take cash or credit."

The mare was startled as Applejack tried to approach her.

"I'm sorry, ma'am." She apologized before the pony ran away, freaked out. "Ma'am!"

"Apple Bloom! That's no way to treat a cu-" My eyes widened when she placed most of the stall's stock of apples to someone's bag.

"That'll be four bits!" she said to the pony.

"I didn't put those in my bag!" the pony retorted.

"Likely story. Four bits, lady!" Before she did any more damage to the stall's reputation, her sister stepped in.

"Apple Bloom!" She placed her hoof over her sister's mouth, almost squishing her face. "I am really sorry about that. She's new." She threw some apples into the pony's bag. "Here, take these. No charge. And these. And these…"

Satisfied, the mare walked, at least tried to, away, barely pushing the sacks of apples with her. That leaves the stall out of apples to sell.

"Ya'll come back again, you hear?" she called to the mare who left.

"She will if we keep giving her things for free." Applejack glared at me. "Sorry."

She then turned to Apple Bloom angrily.

"What?" the filly questioned innocently.

"Sorry little sis, but your apple sellin' days are over." Applejack practically ripped off Apple Bloom's apron to make her point.

"What? But how else am I gonna get my cutie mark?" she snatched her apron back.

"Home. NOW." Applejack warned but Apple Bloom resisted. AJ sighed. "Listen, sugarcube. I know it's hard to wait for your very own cutie mark, but, you just can't force it."

"Your sister's right, you know." Star Blast stepped in. "Besides, you're still in that age where you can't get your cutie mark just yet. Aren't there other colts and fillies in your class without one?"

"Well, Twist doesn't have hers yet…" she answered.

"Do you think you'd feel better if you go to the party with her?" Applejack questioned. Apple Bloom nodded. "Well there you go! I bet you and Twist will have a great time together. Now run along and find your friend."

Apple Bloom turned to leave us before she thought of something. "You sure you don't want me to stick around 'til the end of the market?"

"Hey! Whose been using my racket?" a goateed pony demanded in the middle of the street. He was holding the racket that AB used earlier.

"We're pretty sure." I concluded, gesturing Apple Bloom to go meet up with Twist.

Applejack chuckled as she watched her sister. "My, I remember when I was a lil' filly, I was the last one in my class to get a cutie mark."

"You did? That's surprising." Star Blast admitted.

"Mmhmm, and I couldn't be prouder of it. I knew mah future was to run Sweet Apple Acres, and these shiny apples sealed the deal." She rubbed her cutie mark with her elbow, making it shine like a normal apple. "Huh, kinda think of it, Granny Smith was the last one in her class, too. Same with Big Mcintosh."

"Then it runs in your family?" I asked.

"I guess so," she laughed. "Say, how'd you fellas get your cutie mark?"

I shrugged when I couldn't say something to her. "I don't know. It's just there when we got here." Look, I know that cutie marks meant that you found your special talent. I learned a lot too, you know.

"Really? You don't have cutie marks in your world?" AJ asked.

"We don't have such things." Blast answered.

"Then, how will you know that you found that something that makes you special?"

"Well, I guess when we feel like it's the one? It's really complicated to explain, really. Us humans tend to have the same kind of talent and ability, and the only difference is how we do it in our own pace and how we reached it in the first place." Blast explained.

"Well ah'll be, you humans really _are_ complicated." AJ commented. I agree with that. "Anywho, I do need to clean up shop and go home early."

"Want me to help you?" I offered.

"Nah, I can handle it." She replied. She reached for AB's bag that was slung in my back and she took it. "Thanks for fetchin' Apple Bloom from school."

"Don't mention it. See you tomorrow."

* * *

I was already bored out of my mind. Rarely do I go home early from work and boy was this place quiet. It never hurt to read books that Rob recommended for me though, but only a few caught my time and enjoyment.

Blast and I were the only people in the library. Um, ponies I mean. Spike and Twilight have gone somewhere, and Lemuel still has his weather duties. Pretty boring time, indeed.

If only there was some sport in here that was like basketball. I miss waking up early in the morning, walking my way to the nearest court to just have fun with the sport I love. With that in thought, I glued my eyes to the empty trash bin near to the door, and it just so happens that there were sheets of paper in the desk.

I smirked as I grabbed one sheet, rolling it into a ball. Then, I tried to form my hooves into a shooting position, with the crumpled paper in between my imaginary hands. I calculated the arc of my shot, and I let it fly.

I smiled as I splashed it.

Thirsty, I went down to the kitchen, hoping there was some soda left. Blast was reading again, with very thick books beside him.

"Watcha reading now?" I asked him to break the silence.

"Well, when Applejack asked us about how we got our cutie marks, it got me thinking." He said. "If there _were_ cutie marks in Earth, when did we get them and why did it look like this? I went deep in some books and I believe that cutie marks represent more than just a pony's talent."

You know, I never questioned why my cutie mark looked like this after we settled our identities awhile back. I thought mine was a spur because San Antonio is my favorite team in the NBA and dreamt of playing for them.

"I still don't know why mine is like this, obviously." I said.

"Me neither. I noticed that most Unicorns have heavenly bodies as cutie marks, especially in the ones in Canterlot. Mine is a supernova, but I'm sure as hell not talented in or even cast magic when we're still human." He sighed. "Add this to the list of things I want to figure out. I don't even know why Lemuel's cutie mark looks like the smiley emoji on fire."

"Hah. At least it makes you productive. Once I finished helping out the Apples there's literally nothing else for me to do." I complained.

"Why don't you just hang out with Lemuel like you usually do? I've known Lemuel for most of my life but you two hung out more times than we did."

"How? He doesn't exactly have his PlayStation and PC in here. That's all we ever do when it was just us." I mean, seriously, one of the few things I like about Lemuel was his gaming room. And he's got ALL the CONSOLES. I never met someone that rich.

Blast turned to me. "… You do know that he has a JoyBoy, right?"

"A Joy-what?"

"JoyBoy? Kind of like the version of the GameBoy in here? He's been playing it for months."

"What? And that guy hid it from me? Why didn't he hide it from you?" I questioned.

"Because he knows I'm not fond of video games."

Hmph! That sneaky son of a-! Huh? Was it raining?

I looked out the window and the day was normal, and yet I smell rain.

"Is it just me, or did it rain for one second?" I wondered.

Blast shrugged. "Lemuel's probably home and messing around clouds again."

"Alright, I'll check this out."

I marched my way out and looked for the yellow flying twig, but he was nowhere around. I was about to go back inside until I saw a glimpse of dark gray near by the well next to the library. I was surprised to see Apple Bloom sitting beside it, and she looked a bit under the weather, and I don't know if I just punned that.

I stopped for a moment when Rainbow Dash appeared from inside and out of the cloud, making me know why it was there in the first place. She had blown it away with her weather powers and settled next to the sad filly.

"-I want it NOW!" Apple Bloom was ranting something fast to Rainbow so that was the only thing I heard.

"Cutie mark? I can get you a cutie mark like _that_!" Rainbow snapped her tail.

"Hey, hey. What's this?" I intervened.

"What's up, Silver? Apple Bloom was feeling down so I asked how she's doin'." Rainbow said.

"Why _are_ you lonely, Apple Bloom? Weren't you going to ask your friend Twist to come with you in the cute-ceanera?" I asked.

She sighed, gloomy. "I did, but when I met her… she got her cutie mark."

My eyes widened. "Really? That's… that's tough. I'm sorry, AB."

She frowned more than ever. I shouldn't have said that.

"And that's why I'm gonna help YOU get your cutie mark!" Rainbow declared.

"Star Blast said these things take time." said Apple Bloom. "I just have to wait for it to happen."

"Why _wait_ for it to happen when you can _make it_ happen?"

"But, he said that-"

"Hey, who are you gonna listen to? _Star Blast?_ " Okay, that mock was insulting. "or the pony who was first in her class to get a cutie mark?"

I stepped in between the two. "I have trouble believing that. You can't force something like a cutie mark to just appear."

"Oh come on, now." She slung her left arm (I don't know the equivalent of arms to ponies so I'll just call it that) over my shoulders. "Look, we may not talk to each other a lot but that doesn't mean you can't trust me. Let me tell you a story. I always like flying and all, but I was going nowhere in a hurry."

"Okay, so?"

" _So_ , it wasn't until my very first race that I discovered a serious need for speed. Then _kazam!_ This sweet baby appeared as fast as lightning."

Apple Bloom looked at Rainbow Dash in awe, watching her fly away like a bullet. I knew that she wanted Rainbow to help her and there was no way I could change her mind now.

I really had a bad feeling as I let the small apple go.

* * *

It had been a few hours passed since Apple Bloom left with Rainbow. I paced around the town, cause I was just really concerned about the young pony and how she was doing. I didn't notice that I was becoming anxious than I shouldn't be. One way of dealing with it was to eat something sweet, so I decided to take a stop at Sugarcube Corner.

I could hear bouncy music and Pinkie was singing something about cooking cupcakes while I was making my way. That pink pony and her songs.

And I smell… something burning?

Ignoring that thought, and before I stepped inside the building, I was surprised to see Twilight in the back door of the kitchen.

"Hey, Twilight. What's going on?" I asked after a greeting.

"Oh, It looks like Pinkie and Apple Bloom are baking cupcakes inside." She answered.

"Apple Bloom? I thought she was with Rainbow Dash." I wondered.

Twilight shrugged. "They've been baking for quite awhile now. What's the matter?"

"You see, Apple Bloom's been itching to get her cutie mark because of a cute-ceanera. She says that she won't go until she gets hers." I said. "Apple Bloom went with Rainbow Dash to try and get it as fast as possible, but I'm guessing she didn't."

"Then she must be seeking help from Pinkie Pie. I was going to check what the commotion is about inside the kitchen. Wanna come with me?" I then nodded her offer.

Twilight opened the door as she lead the way inside. The kitchen was a complete mess. Ingredients and equipment were scattered everywhere.

"Woah! What's been going on around here?" Twilight questioned.

"We've been making cupcakes!" Pinkie literally slid towards us, with a tray of uh… cupcakes?

"Want to try one?"

"No, thank you. Not that they don't look… _delicious_." Twilight, it's okay to be honest occasionally.

"How about you, Silver?"

I shook my head. "Sorry, not really in the mood for cupcakes."

"Oh well, your loss." Pinkie began to eat the charcoals. What a strong stomach she has.

I cringed as I watched her, then turned my attention to Apple Bloom.

"Twilight! You HAVE to help me!" the green filly begged.

"What is it, Apple Bloom?"

She took a deep breath, before spitting a tirade to Twilight.

"I… don't follow." I don't blame her. Even I couldn't.

"AB, we talked about this, didn't we? You can't force your cutie mark to appear by doing random stuff." I told her.

"Yeah but, I bet Twilight can use her magic to make my cutie mark appear!"

"Oh no, Apple Bloom." Twilight quickly opposed. "A cutie mark is something that a pony has to discover for herself."

"Please, Twilight. Just try?" AB begged.

"I'm sorry, but-"

"Oh please, please, please, please~!"

"Alright! Alright!" Amazing, even Twilight couldn't stand her.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" AB said gratefully.

Twilight charged her magic, making her horn glow purple as she concentrated it to Apple Bloom's flank. In an instant, a cutie mark DID appear! A cart full of apples! My jaw dropped when it happened.

"Yay! I knew you could do-" the cutie mark disappeared midway. "-it."

I sighed sympathetically. "I'm sorry kid, but we told you-"

"Try again! Try again!" she asked once again. Twilight and I looked at each other, but she continued to give AB what she wanted as she sighed in submission. She tried again, and again, and again but the artificial cutie marks always vanish. I noticed that Twilight's breathing were beginning to look heavy. This was taking a lot out of her.

"Told you that not even magic can make a cutie mark appear before it's time." Twilight replied, regaining herself.

"It's hopeless, hopeless!" AB cried.

"Apple Bloom, how many times do we have to say to you that your cutie mark WILL appear when it's time?" I stressed.

"If that's the case, then I won't go to the party!" she walked away, her head down droopily. "I can't go! Everyone will just laugh at me and make fun of me and call me names. It'll be the worst time of my life!"

"Who cares about what they think? You _will_ go to that party, and you're gonna have LOTS of fun." Woah. That sounded too much like an order.

"I'm sure it won't be as bad as all that." Twilight added, her voice reassuring.

"Forget it. There's no way I'm going to that-" she suddenly paused.

"Bloom? What's wrong?" I asked but I couldn't reach her. I began hearing a lot of noise in the store. Wait a second…

Was this the site of the cute-ceanera?

"What the- Where did they all come from?!" I exclaimed in shock. The décor, the presents, the food, the ponies, they just appeared! This is bad.

Apple Bloom was still wide-eyed at the unexpected occurrence. She hid behind a chocolate pony statue in a flash. I made my way to her while avoiding the ponies along the path.

"How could I have forgotten the time? How could I forget that Pinkie Pie was hosting the party? How could I have forgotten it was in Sugarcube corner?" AB was mumbling in silence.

"You know that hiding there can actually makes you stand out, right?" I asked.

"YOU'RE making me stand out! Stop following me!" Hmm, gotcha.

"Don't forget your party hats, forgetty-forgettersons!" Pinkie made us wear those paper cone party hats. Clearly didn't help Apple Bloom.

"You've gotta get me outta here! I can't let anypony see me!" Apple Bloom dashed around, trying to find a good hiding spot.

More and more guests had come in the party, and this meant more crisis for her. The little colt called Snails took a huge bite from the cake, where Apple Boom was currently hiding

"Hey! It's my cute-ceanera! I'm supposed to take the first bite from the cake!" Diamond Tiara stomped her way to the cake as she complained, and Apple Bloom swiftly ran away behind a bundle of balloons before she got noticed. Unfortunately, a Unicorn was dancing mindlessly near the balloons, and managed to pop all of it that exposed Apple Bloom again.

She gave up at last as she rushed behind me.

"You're making yourself look miserable."

"I just wanna go home…"

I sighed. Well, the kid must be pretty exhausted after trying out a lot of things just to get a cutie mark. I was not gonna force her to stay if she kept going like this, hiding like she committed some sort of crime.

"Alright, stay by my side and I'll escort you home. Sound good?" she responded with a nod gladly.

I did my best to hide her, especially from Diamond Tiara and her friend's sight, as I guided her to the exit.

Then, it was at this moment, where Applejack decided to make her entrance.

"Apple Bloom! You made it." I tried to shush her big mouth. I turned back and Diamond Tiara's attention was making it's way to us.

"After I heard about Twist, I was afraid you wouldn't show up. I sure am glad you came to your senses about this whole cutie mark thing." While AJ was yapping about cluelessly, Apple Bloom tried to push her sister back, reaching for the exit that was going away far from her reach. I felt so bad for her.

"These things happen when these things are supposed to happen! Trying to rush it will just drive you crazy." AJ kept on yapping. I followed and tried to stop her, but she just made the situation a whole lot worse…

"I'll let you be, looks like your friend's wanna talk to you." She lightly pushed Apple Bloom forward, and the friends AJ referred was Diamond Tiara, who was grinning maliciously.

I face-hoofed as AJ sat next to me, as if nothing she did happened.

"Please tell me you're not that clueless…"

"Silver, Apple Bloom's not gonna learn if she always try to sneak out of her problems. I know what ahm doin'. Just watch." She said. I don't know why, but I was reassured.

Apple Bloom started to panic at Spoon and Tiara advancing, and in the last second, she pulled a pink table cloth and with it she covered her flank, acting like a dress.

"Well, well, well. Look who's here." Arg, this pony was getting on my nerves.

"Nice outfit." Spoon and Tiara shared giggles. Anyone could tell they didn't mean all that with the tone they're using.

"Just sumthin' I, uh, pulled together the last minute." Apple Bloom replied.

"It really shows off your cutie mark. Oh wait, that's right! You don't have one." Diamond Tiara said that made my blood start to boil.

"Breathe, Silver. Just trust in Apple Bloom." AJ advised.

"I- I have a cutie mark." Apple Bloom lied.

"Eh, what? Since when?" Silver Spoon questioned.

"Since…Um, earlier today."

"Oh really? Let's see it." Diamond Tiara proclaimed, driving Apple Bloom into a corner.

"I shouldn't. I couldn't." Apple Bloom started. "My cutie mark is so _unbelievably_ amazing. I'm afraid that if I show it off, everyone will start paying attention to ME instead of YOU. Outshined at your own cute-ceanera? Can you imagine how _embarrassing_ that would be?"

She actually managed to strike a nerve inside Diamond Tiara, who looked lost and no composure at all.

"Oh, forget it. I really didn't want to see it anyway." Diamond Tiara huffed.

Apple Bloom's face brightened up. "Okay! Well, I'm gonna go mingle. Enjoy your party." And with a relived sigh, she walked away.

I was impressed. She handled it fairly well. She dug herself deeper with lies and managed to get out of the hole.

Apple Bloom's dress was getting in her way, and as she tried to walk, she accidentally stepped on the cloth, making her trip. She bumped into the gramophone, making the music stop as well as everyone from dancing.

Everyone in the room gasped, and Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon looked like predators ready to pounce on their prey when they saw Apple Bloom with a blank flank.

I was worried, now that Apple Bloom's worst fear had finally come to fruition. I was confused why Applejack hasn't done anything to help her sister. What was she expecting?

"Wow, that _is_ an amazing cutie mark." Silver Spoon said sarcastically.

"Nice try, _Blank Flank_." Diamond Tiara added the insult as they shared a triumphant laugh. The crowd began murmuring.

At this point, I needed to cover for poor Apple Bloom. These two had gone far enough.

"You got a problem with Blank Flanks?" A raspy voice hollered somewhere in the room. I heard a few fillies gasped when two young ponies emerged from underneath a table. The first one was a Unicorn, with curly pink and lavender-like hair and a white coat that reminded me of Rarity's. The other one was a Pegasus, with an orange coat and a wild, magenta mane.

"I _said_ , you got a problem with _Blank Flanks_?" Thank goodness these two stepped in when I was about to.

"The problem is, I mean, she's like, totally not special." Silver Spoon retorted.

"No, it means that she's full of potential." the Unicorn filly said.

"It means she could be great at anything!" the Pegasus added. "The possibilities are like, _endless_."

"She can be a great scientist, or an amazing artist, or a famous writer. She could even be mayor of Ponyville someday!" the marshmallow looking filly continued.

"And she's not stuck being _stuck-up_ like you two." The orange one said even further, that made the ponies of their age laugh.

"Hey, this is my party! Why are you two on _her_ side?" Diamond Tiara asked in protest.

"Because…" The two turned around and showed everyone in the building their blank flanks as an answer. No wonder they were defending Apple Bloom!

Apple Bloom gasped. "You two don't have cutie marks either? I thought I was the only one!"

"We thought we were the only two!" the orange Pegasus said.

"I, for one, think you are three very lucky fillies." This time Twilight decided to join in. Was she in the kitchen this whole time?

" _Lucky_? How can they be _lucky_?" Diamond Tiara wondered.

"They're lucky because they still have the chance to experience and discover the thrills of who they are and what they're going to be." I announced suddenly.

"And they got all the time in the world to figure it out." AJ said right next to me. "Not _just_ in the afternoon." She winked at Apple Bloom, making her smile back at her sister.

Just like that, all the attention was turned to the three fillies, bombarding them with questions about the things they said earlier about being a mayor and an artist.

Twilight, Applejack and I sat around together, watching the three.

"Man, those two are a saving grace. I don't know what I would've done if it weren't for them speaking up." I said.

"Eeyup, I bet Rarity's gonna be real proud of her sister once she's heard of this." I turned quickly to Applejack.

"Wait, what?"

"Sweetie Belle? Rarity's lil' sister?"

"…HUH?!"

"You don't know she has a sister?" Twilight looked dumbfounded at my innocence.

"No! How come I'm only knowing this now?!" I was really frustrated.

"Sheesh, we always assumed you'd knew, since you have a thing with Rarity and all…"

My eyes went really wide with what I just heard. How did they-?

… Lemuel.

Oh my god, the things I keep finding out today!

I sighed, "Let me guess. Speedy told you, didn't he?"

"Well, yeah." Twilight said, but it looked like she didn't want to talk about it based on my mood right now.

"Even if you didn't, it was really obvious though. You turn bright red shinier than apple when you're right next to her." Applejack told me.

I hid my face with my hooves as I groaned. "It's just you two, right? Please tell me you haven't told anyone about it."

"Don't worry, Silver. We haven't told a single soul." Twilight said, putting her hoof in my shoulders comfortingly.

I smiled gratefully. "What about the orange Pegasus? She Rainbow's relative?"

"Scootaloo? She's a _huge_ fan of Rainbow Dash. Practically worships her sometimes." Applejack answered.

"Oh." That kid is right in the mind, right? _Rainbow Dash_ of all people- I mean, ponies? Really?

Setting that bizarre thought aside, I gazed back to the three fillies who were now introducing themselves to one another. I smiled when it reminded me of something.

"You know, the way they met each other reminds me of how I became friends with Speedy and Blast." I said.

"Really? How so?" Twilight asked.

I shrugged, my grin still there. "I dunno, same scenario, I guess?"

* * *

The party died down eventually. Oh, the miserable look on that Diamond Tiara's face was priceless to see. Still, to get owned by someone in your own party? That's cold. Call me mean all you want for wishing the kid misfortune, but she kinda deserved it. It was a lesson for her to look back on.

Apple Bloom, now friends with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, went through some kind of meeting about how they were gonna try out different things together to earn their cutie marks. They also talked about a name for their trio. Some examples were _Cutie Mark 3_ , _Cute-tastically Fantastic_ , but in the end they all decided that it was going to be the _Cutie Mark Crusaders_. Kind of catchy, if you ask me.

" _Dearest Princess Celestia, I am happy to report that one of your youngest subjects has learned a valuable lesson about friendship. Sometimes, the thing you think will cause you to lose friends and feel left out, can actually be the thing that helps you make your closest friends, and realize how special you are._ " Twilight finished reciting while we were on our way home. "How was that, Silver?"

I nodded in approval of it, balancing the left-over desserts that Pinkie packed for us. "I think it's great."

"Brilliant! I'll have Spike send it to the Princess once we get back." She sighed. "So, how was your day?"

I entertained her with that question. "Oh you know, the usual."

"I see. I wonder how Star Blast's interview with Ms. Cheerilee went?"

"Oh, he got the internship. It'll just take a month for it to be finalized."

"Really? I'm so happy for him!" I jumped at Twilight's sudden cheerfulness.

"Woah, what was that all about?"

"Why? Can't I be happy for a friend?"

"Well, it's not that, but I saw an extra spring in your step there." I asked. "Is there something going on?"

"Wh-what are you implying?" Twilight said.

I decided to tease her for now. THIS was payback for keeping a secret from me. "I don't know, you've been acting strange around Star Blast recently… Are you sure you only see him as a _friend_?"

I noticed Twilight was turning beet red. "Of course I only see him as a friend!" then she started rambling about how she just sees Rob as a friend.

"Hey hey! Chill! I was just teasing you!" I stopped her. I didn't know she would overreact like that.

"Oh my gosh, that was embarrassing…" Twilight said, her face still red. "Promise me you won't tell anyone about this?"

"Of course!" I raised my right hoof. Well, now I know that she had a crush on Robert.

Oh, and speaking of secrets, Lemuel was playing with that JoyBoy Rob was talking about outside the library so joyfully, and that was about to change.

"Uh, Twilight? Can you hold on these for a second?" I requested, dropping down the left-overs right next to her.

"Silver… What are you trying to do to Speedy?" Twilight questioned as I readied myself in a charging position, pawing my hooves on the ground as if I was like a bull.

"Oh don't worry, this is just how I show my brotherly love!" I kept my sadistic grin within me.

And then, I pressed forward, charging at Lemuel with all my might.

"LEMUEL!" I yelled, grabbing his attention.

"Yo! What's up dude?"

"CLENCH YOUR TEETH!"

"Clench my wha-OOF!"

And after that I uh… I'll leave it to your imagination.

* * *

 _Author's note!_

 _Ah yes, the rare 'two chapters in a month' update. It feels so gooooood._

 _Anyway, this chapter was a bit difficult to write for some reason. Probably because I'm still exploring what style I would use when it's in Silver's point of view._

 _I'm also planning to make the trio as some sort of role models for The Cutie Mark Crusaders in future chapters. I dunno._

 _and yeah! Leave a favorite and a follow, review if you have the time, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter! (Hold your breath!)_

 ** _\- Super Bright Brat_**

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT MY THREE OCs!**


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